


The Mirror Tells All

by AshKnight



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Domestic Violence, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Hogwarts AU, Hurt/Comfort, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Nerdy!Lena, Prefect!Kara, Slow Burn, SuperCorp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22301437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshKnight/pseuds/AshKnight
Summary: Lena Luthor is not the typical Slytherin.  Her Luthor nature makes her avoid any and all friendships.  She’d rather keep her head down and in a book about the Dark Arts.  At least, until she meets the bubbly Gryffindor prefect and Quidditch star, Kara Danvers.Trigger warning for domestic violence.  Have no fear: Supercorp Hogwarts AU is here!  (Endgame).
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 271
Kudos: 842





	1. Chapter 1

Snow fell heavily outside, meaning students were mostly huddled in their common rooms. Not Lena Luthor, though. The seventh year had far more interesting events to engage in. Independently, of course. Lena didn't need friends to have fun. Or snow. Or anything else. All she needed was a good Defense Against the Dark Arts book from the restricted section and she'd be all set.

So she sat cross-legged on the floor in one of the castle's long, lonely hallways, hunched over the book she'd just snuck out of the library, glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose, and read diligently.

One hour passed without incident, and without much notice from Lena, and two more after that, before she was interrupted.

"Hey," a bright voice called out.

 _Ugh,_ Lena thought. _Stupid Gryffindor Prefects._

"It's not past curfew yet," Lena said curtly. "What do you want?"

The girl blinked several times, giving the Slytherin a serious, analytic once-over.

Irritated by the girl's silence, Lena said, "If you're wondering why I have a book from the restricted section of the library, I can assure you that I have a note. Not that it would be any of your business anyway, _Gryffindor._ "

Taken slightly aback by this, but hardly frightened by Lena's bark, the girl simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "Hi. I'm Kara."

"Okay, Kara. What do you want?" Lena huffed, frustrated by the girl's lack of response to her original question.

Kara shrugged again and said, "Just wondering why you're out here all alone. It's cold out here."

Lena blinked, staring up at the beautiful, blonde prefect, and didn't move. _What the hell is wrong with this girl?_ she wondered. _Why is she talking to me?_

"It's none of your business why I'm out here alone," Lena finally managed to quip back, after taking a pause in an attempt to clear her confusion.

"Aren't you cold?" Kara pressed.

Lena looked down at her arms and noticed goosebumps. She was a bit cold, but hadn't really noticed, as she'd been exceptionally engrossed in her book for the past three hours. But she wasn't about to tell a random Gryffindor Prefect that.

"Here," Kara said softly, kneeling in front of Lena as she shrugged her cloak off her shoulders and removed her sweater. "Take this."

Dumbfounded by the girl's forwardness, Lena just stared at her while she held her hand out. To Kara, it felt like forever before Lena spoke.

"I'm fine," Lena lied, visibly shrinking away from the gesture.

Kara bit her lip, hesitating, and gently protested, "You're right by the window."

"I know I'm right by a window!" Lena shouted, finally snapping.

She was hardly used to the extra attention, let alone the kindness this girl was showing her. There had to be something in it for her, Lena reasoned.

"What do you want?" Lena repeated, a scowl furrowing her brow.

After a moment of hesitation in deciding how to proceed, Kara carefully set her own sweater down beside Lena on the floor and returned to a standing position.

After putting on her cloak and making sure her prefect badge was on straight, Kara answered, with the question, "Why does someone have to want something from you, just to talk to you?"

Eyes going slightly wide at this, Lena considered the prefect's words. So… this girl didn't actually want anything from her? Wasn't trying to bother her, or get her in trouble, or taunt her at all? Lena found that very hard to believe.

"Everyone wants something," Lena argued, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, I guess you're right. I really want a hot cocoa. Want to come with me? They're serving some in the Great Hall."

 _Is this girl fucking stupid or having a go at me?_ Lena wondered, nearly gaping. Lena had to admit that she _was_ cold, and she _did_ like hot cocoa… but there was no way in Hell she was going to get up off the floor and follow some preppy Gryffindor prefect into the Great Hall like they were some kind of friends. _I don't have friends,_ Lena reminded herself. _And I'd definitely never be friends with a Gryffindor._

House pride had been instilled in her from a young age by her family. Both parents and her brother, Lex, had been Slytherins, and although she was adopted, she felt that Slytherin pride was engrained in her DNA. Being friends with a Gryffindor? Her mother would strangle her and her father would roll over in his grave. Lex would disown her.

But Kara was incredibly – _stupidly_ – kind. It would be a bit rude to ignore the offer, when she was exceptionally freezing, and sitting directly next to the prefect's only sweater.

"You okay?" Kara asked, shaking Lena out of her extended stupor.

Clearing her throat, Lena offered a single affirmative nod before answering, "I'm fine."

"You coming, or…?"

Biting her lip, Lena hesitated. Then, looking down at her book, Lena thumbed the page, unsure of whether or not she wanted to give up on her reading for the day. Well… maybe just a little break wouldn't hurt…

"I… I could go for a hot cocoa," Lena said shyly, suddenly feeling her confidence waver.

She hated the sound of her voice then. Hated the way it was small and unsure. But this girl… this _random,_ sweet girl was being kind to her, something Lena wasn't used to. She didn't even know why she'd agreed. Maybe it was because she was so used to hardly speaking all day, except to answer questions in class. (She wasn't a know-it-all, but she wanted her professors to know she was doing the work.)

Kara smiled brightly, and Lena couldn't help but notice that it lit up the dim hallway like dawn breaking over morning, dew-covered hills.

Slowly, she rose to her feet.

"Come on, then," the prefect cheerfully urged her. "I'm so ready. Do you have yours with whipped cream or without?"

Lena almost laughed at this. At Kara's bubbly personality and good-natured interest in her.

"With…" Lena answered slowly. "You?"

"Absolutely and indubitably _with,_ " Kara replied, looking over to grin at the Slytherin falling in step beside her.

"Would you mind telling me your name?" Kara asked cautiously, offering Lena an encouraging smile.

"I'm… I'm Lena Luthor."

"Kara Danvers. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Luthor."

_Miss Luthor._

Lena thought she might faint, thinking, _Is this girl for real?_

Once in the dining hall, Kara fixed a hot cocoa and put whipped cream on it. To Lena's surprise, the mug was handed to her. Kara had made sure she had her drink first. Nearly blushing, Lena mumbled a soft 'thanks' and waited for the prefect to fix her own.

As soon as they sat down across from each other at the table, Kara gently asked, "So, what were you reading?"

She could tell that Lena wasn't one to share, but she was hopeful to engage her in a conversation. It was clear that this girl was complex, and so many things about her had intrigued Kara already, the magnetic pull too strong for her to resist asking questions. All of the sudden, Kara felt a deep longing to know anything and everything about this girl. Not only was she beautiful – her dark, smooth raven hair shimmering in the candlelight of the Great Hall, and her green eyes shining brightly – but she was also mysterious and guarded, which only made Kara's desire to know her more intense.

"I, um…" Lena mumbled, dropping her gaze to her drink.

"It's okay. I don't judge," Kara assured her. "And I won't tell that you snuck it out of the library without a note."

"What?!" Lena gasped, mouth agape with shock.

How the hell did she know Lena had just _taken_ it?

"Listen," Kara said, smiling warmly. Chuckling, she explained, "I'm a good judge of truth, and you seem to be a terrible liar anyway. If I'd wanted to get you in trouble, I already would've, so you might as well just tell me."

Shock rocked her body as Lena stared in disbelief. The _audacity_ of this girl! To call her a terrible liar. Lena hated it, but she was starting to blush from embarrassment. _Was it really that obvious?_ she wondered. But Kara was right; had she wanted to get her in trouble, she would've done it already.

So, taking a deep, steadying breath, Lena confessed, "I wanted to learn a few things about the mirror of Erised."

Kara tilted her head in confusion and asked, "The what?"

Rolling her eyes slightly, Lena enlightened the prefect, "It's a mirror hidden in the castle somewhere that shows you what you want most in the world. Dumbledore hid it years ago, and I'm just dying to know where it is."

"You think the book will tell you that?" Kara asked curiously.

Lena shook her head and answered, "No. But I want to know more about it before I go looking for it."

As soon as the words were out, Lena covered her mouth. _Oh, shit,_ she cursed silently. _I just told a prefect I'm going to sneak around the castle looking for a fucking forbidden object._

Seeing Lena's reaction, Kara couldn't help but laugh as she vowed, "I'm not going to tell. Besides, if Dumbledore hid it, I don't think you'll ever find it. He was a genius."

Lena rolled her eyes, telling Kara, "Nothing's impossible, Kara. Nothing."

Kara shrugged, offering her signature warm, inviting smile and replied, "Maybe you're right."

Tilting her head slightly, Lena asked the girl, "You really aren't going to tell?"

"Nah," Kara told her. "No point. Just try not to get caught or get hurt, yeah? The castle can be dangerous, especially at night. And Peeves won't hesitate to fuck you over."

"Why do you care?" Lena asked suddenly, her face returning to its original dark expression.

Kara shrugged again and explained, "I dunno. I just care."

"You don't even know me."

Another shrug from Kara was followed by, "I usually get a good read on people pretty quickly."

"And… what's your read on me?" Lena asked, voice becoming soft and shy.

With a warm smile, Kara answered, "You're complex."

"I don't know what the Hell that means, but… thanks?"

Laughing, Kara shook her head and said, "No need to thank me. Anyway, you should drink your hot cocoa before it gets cold."

Lena looked down, noticing that her hot cocoa was, in fact, no longer steaming from the heat. Taking a sip – thankfully, it was still warm at least – she savored the sweet taste of the chocolate. Kara did the same, both of them enjoying the beverage for a while, before Kara's personality got the better of her, and she could no longer refrain from talking.

"So, what year are you?" she asked cheerfully, trying to be gentle in her questioning as her excitement burst through her.

Kara was definitely a sociable person, to say the least. Making friends? Probably the best part of her day. Not to mention… this girl was _gorgeous._ But that was a problem that Kara felt the need to shove down and pack away for now. She was all too aware that Lena was about as warm and fuzzy as a basilisk.

"Seventh," Lena finally answered, using a napkin to wipe a bit of whipped cream off her lip as Kara did the same, but with her sleeve.

 _This girl is a barbarian,_ Lena thought, watching as Kara's lips left a small white spot on her robes. _Why does she have to be so cute?_

"I'm a sixth year," Kara told her with a smile, setting her empty mug down on the table.

"Aww," Lena teased, feeling her inhibitions fading. "You're just a baby!"

"Hey!" Kara cried. "I'm not… a _baby._ I'm just… Hey, wait a minute! You're only a year older than me! How does that make _me_ a baby?"

Smirking and shrugging her shoulders, Lena answered, "It just does. Anyway, it's getting late. I should… get going, I guess…"

Kara blinked a few times at Lena's sudden desire to exit.

"Did I… Did I say something wrong?" Kara asked softly, looking somewhat shy.

"No," Lena assured her, involuntarily offering gentle smile. "It really is getting late."

Kara looked at her watch and noticed that it was, in fact, close to when she generally went to bed.

"You're right. I'm sorry to have kept you," Kara told Lena graciously. "May I walk you back to your common room?"

Lena's eyes widened at the request. And it really was just that: a request. Kara wasn't insisting, like other boys she'd known had previously done. She wasn't imposing. She was asking permission.

"I, um… I'm really alright," Lena told her. "I'm capable of finding my way to my own common room."

"Oh, I wasn't saying you weren't. It would be my pleasure just to make sure you make it there alright." When Kara looked around the room, she noticed that they were the last ones in the Great Hall and added, "The castle can be dangerous at night, and you shouldn't be seen in the halls without a prefect after curfew."

"So you've said, about it being dangerous" Lena chuckled. "I'm really okay, though. I'm not scared." When Kara nodded her head respectfully but looked visibly disappointed, the brunette sighed under her breath and said, "Alright. You can walk me."

Kara's face brightened instantly, for more than one reason. First, she would get to spend more time with Lena. Second, she'd be getting to do what she loved best: looking out for someone else.

"You know, I'm older than you and can take care of myself," Lena mused as they fell in step in the hallway, walking towards the Slytherin common room.

Giving an immediate, affirmative nod, Kara answered, "I know."

Kara walked slowly, without much pep in her step, wanting to make this walk last as long as possible. After all, she wasn't sure if Lena would ever give her the time of day again. Lena did her best not to look over at Kara as they walked and instead kept her eyes mostly on the floor in front of them. Each time she caught Kara's eye, her heart started to race, and she hated it.

After a few more minutes of polite small talk, they found themselves at the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Well… Goodnight," Kara said softly, looking at Lena.

"Yeah…" Lena said slowly. "Goodnight."

Offering a smile, Kara whispered back, "Thank you for a lovely evening."

Somewhat taken aback by this, Lena nodded and, not daring to say 'can I see you again?' whispered the password to the portrait and stepped through the common room door, leaving Kara standing alone in the hallway.

The whole walk back to the Gryffindor common room felt long and lonely to Kara, and that was not a feeling she was used to. Kara had plenty of friends. She was never really 'lonely.' At least, not like this. Unable to place exactly what was missing, Kara simply felt an emptiness she couldn't explain. It was like losing something you just had in the other room, that you know you want, but just can't find.

As Kara found herself lying in bed that night, she realized what was missing: Lena. There was something about her companionship that was different. More engaging. Something that made Kara's stomach flip. But that was all over now, Kara reasoned, because they'd likely never speak again. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? Friends? Now, that was a laugh. Of course, it didn't bother Kara in the slightest, but to everyone else, that kind of friendship seemed impossible. Besides, Lena hadn't asked her to spend time with her again. So whatever chance they had was gone. They didn't have any classes together. They had no reason to come into contact with each other again, if not intentionally. That ship had sailed.

 _I should've asked her to hang out tomorrow,_ Kara scolded herself, hating that she'd let the beautiful girl walk away from her so easily. _At least I know she's safe in her dorm._


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Kara stumbled out of bed and down the stairs into the common room with her eyes only half-open. Just as she was about to flop into a large chair by the fire, she heard loud, angry voices coming from the hallway near the exit.

"Fuck off, Slytherin!" a fifth year was shouting.

"Yeah, right!" another said. "Like we'd ever believe you."

Kara could hear the sound of someone else speaking more quietly – likely from outside the common room – but she couldn't tell who it was or what they were saying, so she hurried back to her feet and rushed to the common room door where four Gryffindors were blocking the exit.

"Hey!" Kara called out, in her more dominant listen-to-me-I'm-a-prefect voice as she whipped off her glasses. "What's going on? Break it up."

"But Kara!" the youngest boy cried. "There's a Slytherin trying to—"

"And she said—"

"And then—"

"Enough!" Kara shouted, nearly losing her cool but not completely. "Move aside."

When Kara parted the four students to peer out of the common room door, her eyes went wide.

"Lena," she breathed, staring.

As early as it was in the morning, the girl looked positively radiant, even in the dim candlelight of the hallway.

"I was just—" Lena started, face red from the frustration of dealing with the rowdy young Gryffindors.

"She said you let her borrow your sweater, Kara!" the fifth year blurted.

"And we all know you'd never give anything to a Slytherin… Right, Kara…?" a fourth year Gryffindor asked.

"I did give it to her," Kara said simply, not taking her eyes off Lena's.

"But she's a Slytherin!" one gasped. "And she threatened to kill us!"

"I did no such thing," Lena quipped, shoving her wand back into her cloak pocket.

Raising an eyebrow, Kara looked at Lena with curiosity, rather than accusation.

When the fifth year boy opened his mouth to speak again, Lena drew the wand again and said, "But I could."

"Lena!" Kara gasped, rushing the brunette and pressing on her forearm to get her to lower the wand. Then, without taking her eyes off Lena, Kara ordered the younger Gryffindors, "Leave us."

Staring in disbelief, they returned to their common room, leaving Kara outside, alone, with Lena.

"So… You're certainly making big waves early in the morning," Kara teased gently.

Lena rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Hardly. Your stupid little Gryffindor buddies almost beat me to death with their wands, which is just about the only way your lot know how to use them."

"Hey!" Kara cried, offended. "That's not true! We have some very good students in this house!"

"Not those ones," Lena laughed.

Scowl fading, Kara shrugged, conceding, "Alright. Maybe not them. They're kinda… Well… Let's just say they're still young."

"So are you," Lena pointed out with a smirk.

"You're only a year ahead of me," the blonde huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lena shrugged and told Kara, "A year is a long time. People change a lot in a year."

As Kara gazed at her thoughtfully, Lena's expression remained mostly serious, until the silence became slightly awkward, and Kara couldn't help but speak.

"So how did you even find the Gryffindor common room? And why are you here so early?"

"I was just… I, um… I came to bring your sweater back, and it was the only time I could be mostly sure you'd actually be here."

Casually, Kara answered, "You didn't have to bring it back. It was given without expectations of anything in return."

"Well, that's hardly customary. When people give things, they always want something in return."

"It's hardly customary to find someone sitting in the hallway, reading, by themselves, freezing their ass off, without a sweater," Kara pointed out. "And I wasn't looking for anything. I honestly just wanted to help. You looked cold and…"

"And?"

"And a little lonely, I guess. I don't know. I won't assume that. It's just the impression I was getting at the time. I know full well that Miss Lena Luthor can take care of herself. You made that clear yesterday."

At first, Lena looked somewhat embarrassed as she wondered, Was I too harsh? But this faded when she saw Kara's warm, welcoming smile. She wasn't judging or making an accusation. Just an observation.

"I wasn't… lonely," Lena lied.

Kara, sensing the lie immediately, simply nodded, not wanting to push Lena to say something she didn't want to.

"I'm glad you agreed to have hot cocoa with me, nonetheless," Kara told her brightly.

"Anyway…" the brunette said, after a strange pause. "Here's your sweater."

When Lena held out her hand that was clutching the sweater, Kara looked at her curiously.

"You could keep it, if you wanted."

Lena chuckled and shook her head, saying, "It's really alright. I do have sweaters. I just didn't think to bring one yesterday."

"You sure?" Only when Lena nodded did Kara take the sweater and say, "Thanks."

"Why are you thanking me? You're the one who let me borrow the sweater. I should be thanking you."

"Not looking for thanks," Kara explained, shrugging her shoulders. "Like I said, I was just trying to help."

Tilting her head slightly as she took in the sight, Lena considered Kara's words. She'd never really known anyone who did kind things simply for the sake of being good. But here Kara was, breaking all the rules Lena had ever learned about people. About Gryffindors, even.

"Anyway…" Lena finally said, after taking a surprised moment to appreciate just how kind Kara had been to her. "I should get going."

Kara offered a little nod, after which Lena looked away and averted her gaze. Luckily for Kara, this meant that she didn't notice just how disappointed and sad she looked in that moment.

"Have a good day, Lena," Kara said softly. "Thank you."

Lena mumbled a quiet, "Thanks," before turning her back on Kara, but it didn't take long for her to stop in her tracks. She didn't hear Kara turning around, or the sound of the portrait reopening to reveal the door to the common room. Which meant… Kara was watching her leave.

"Hey, um…" Lena bravely started, clearing her throat. "Do you, um… Do you want to grab breakfast?"

"W-What?" Kara gaped.

Was Lena really asking her to join her for a meal? Kara had been sure that they'd seen the last of each other the night before. She could tell Lena wasn't the type to make friends. But here she was… offering to spend time with her.

"Sorry," Lena muttered. "That was dumb. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, wait!" Kara blurted, very gently grabbing Lena's wrist as she turned away again. "I'd love to. Can I have a minute to go upstairs and get changed?"

Lena's lips parted, surprised by Kara's reaction.

I'd love to.

Blushing only slightly, Lena agreed, "Of course."

Kara took hardly any time to get ready before leaping down the stairs, three at a time, holding on to the banister to swing her feet down the stairs. By the time she reappeared, bolting out from behind the portrait to join Lena in the hallway, Lena had already begun to wonder if she was coming back (despite how little time had passed).

"Ready!" Kara said cheerfully, straightening her prefect badge.

"Ugh," Lena groaned, noticing Kara's attention to this detail. "Prefects."

Kara laughed, not taking this to heart, and continued down the hallway towards the Great Hall.

"So, what do you do for fun?" Kara asked over breakfast.

Lena shrugged, replying, "Read, mostly."

"Anything else?"

"Not really. What about you?"

Kara smiled and answered, "Quidditch is my life."

Lena visibly rolled her eyes, causing a look of confusion to flood Kara's features as she responded, "What's wrong with quidditch?"

"It's no better than muggle football."

"Well, that's bologna."

"Hardly."

"Excuse me, but do football players fly?"

"Well, not, but that's not—"

"Then there you go. Automatically better. Plus, it's a blast to play."

"I've never watched a game," Lena confessed. "Always thought it was stupid."

Looking somewhat downtrodden, Kara dropped her gaze.

"I'm a seeker," Kara elaborated. "People tell me I have natural talent, but in actuality, I've just worked really hard to be good at it."

"Explains why you're so popular, Miss Seeker," Lena teased.

"I don't know why people like me," Kara confessed. "I'm obnoxious."

"No, you're not," Lena told her, suddenly serious. "Why would you say that?"

"I dunno. I just am, I guess."

Shaking her head, Lena replied, "I don't find you to be obnoxious at all. You're quite bubbly, and very energetic, which can be exhausting, but you're most certainly not obnoxious."

"Well… Thank you, Lena. I appreciate you saying that," Kara thanked the girl, wearing a crooked smile as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"You are pretty dorky, though," the brunette made sure to add.

Kara just continued to smile, basking in Lena's playful teasing, knowing full well that this attention was far better than no attention from the Luthor.

"Hey, um… Lena…" Kara started gently, just barely looking up to peer at the Slytherin.

"Yeah?"

"Weren't your mom and dad Head Girl and Head Boy?"

Lena's face flushed as she grabbed hold of the edge of the table, knuckles going white.

"Yes. And?" she replied, gritting her teeth from her intense desire to not talk about her family.

Kara raised an eyebrow, noticing Lena's reaction, but decided that she was curious enough to press on lightly, with just a slight change in direction.

"And your brother, wasn't he Head Boy as well?"

"Yes. And?"

"So, I'm a little surprised you're not."

"What?" Lena gaped, staring blankly.

"I'm surprised you're not Head Girl," Kara said simply. "It seems like it runs in your blood."

"I was adopted," Lena muttered, looking down. Then, raising her gaze, she asked more confidently, "Besides… Who wants to be Head Girl anyway? Gross."

Kara's mouth hung open slightly. This conversation was going nowhere near where she'd expected it to.

"I, um…" Kara started, lowering her head. "I've always wanted to be Head Girl. Since First Year."

Swallowing a large mouthful of steaming embarrassment, Lena's cheeks darkened.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled. "I just meant—"

"Nah, you're right. It's a pretty stupid dream. I'll never make Head Girl, anyway," Kara said, her voice betraying her dejectedness.

"Why not?" Lena asked gently.

Kara just shook her head, feeling a lump rising in her throat that closed in all the words she didn't really want to say anyway.

"Hey… Kara," the brunette whispered. "Kara, look at me."

But Kara was feeling such an intense rush of shame and emotion that she couldn't lift her head, couldn't think, couldn't talk… couldn't process. Chest tightening, Kara felt her lower lip begin to quiver, a sure sign that she was about to cry.

Fuck no. I will not cry in front of Lena Luthor, she promised herself. I won't do it. Suck it up!

But Lena, feeling a sense of overwhelming guilt for upsetting the sweet sixth year, bravely reached out and touched Kara's hand from across the table.

"Kara," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

Kara shook her head again, not looking as she fought hard to force the tears back as she choked out, "D-Don't be."

"You'd make a great Head Girl. Not like my parents."

This statement was the final prompt Kara needed to meet Lena's gaze as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"They're on the power trip of the century. I know how they are, and I can guess how they were as Head Boy and Girl. And I know how Lex was. You wouldn't be like that. My view of Head Boys and Girls has been tainted by my experience with others, and with my parents, and I'm honestly very sorry that I let that bleed out onto you. I didn't mean to pass judgment or insult you, Kara. It just came out. It's my own shit, and I'm sorry."

"Please, stop," Kara said, voice cracking. "You don't need to apologize. Like I said, it's a pipe dream anyway."

"Kara, come on. You'd be so different."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you wouldn't throw your weight around to get control. You wouldn't be on that power trip like my family members."

"How do you know that?" Kara asked shyly, genuinely curious as to what Lena was thinking.

"Because I get the very, very strong sense that you do everything you do because you care."

Kara nodded and agreed, "That's very true. I don't do it for attention, even though some people think I do. I'm a prefect because I care about the safety of my classmates and helping others. And I just do Quidditch because I love it. It's not for the limelight."

Lena smiled warmly at Kara and told her, "I know."

Then, they both realized, at the exact same moment, as silence fell between them, that Lena's hand was still resting on top of Kara's, unmoved.

"I, uh," Lena blurted, quickly pulling her hand away. "Sorry."

"Please, don't apologize," Kara said sternly. I loved it, she was thinking.

"I didn't mean to overstep. I was just worried," the brunette explained.

"Well, you certainly got my attention," Kara told her, a small smile returning.

It was then that Lena noticed – really noticed – just how pink Kara's lips were. Just how soft they looked. How inviting they were.

But that was well beside the point, and she refused – completely refused – to allow herself to think that way about anyone. Even the adorable, sweet, perfect Kara Danvers.

"We should get going," Lena announced, mostly to distract herself from her own intrusive thoughts, upon noticing the time.

Kara looked at her watch and nodded, saying, "I suppose you're right. Thank you for having breakfast with me, Lena."

"You don't have to thank me," the older student chuckled. "It was my pleasure, to be honest."

"Really?" the blonde asked with a smile, regaining a small amount of confidence.

Lena nodded and rose from the table, barely noticing the strange looks coming from their classmates as the Slytherin and Gryffindor interacted, saying, "Let's get to class."

Upon standing, Kara hesitated before asking shyly, "May I walk you?"

Lena hesitated too before replying, "If you'd like, I think that would be okay. You won't be late for your own class?"

"I'm a prefect. I'll get away with it," Kara said with a playful grin. "Besides, I'll just say I was getting a Slyhterin in trouble and the whole class will cheer. Plus, my professor will definitely say, 'Ten points to Gryffinor,' and who the hell doesn't want that?"

"Okay, fuck you, Gryffindor. You're not winning the house cup. You haven't since my brother was here."

"Ouch!" Kara cried, dramatically clutching her chest. "You wound me!"

Lena couldn't help but laugh, her whole world brightened by Kara's smile and playful nature. She couldn't have been happier that the girl's smile had returned, especially since she still felt incredibly guilty for causing her pain.

Along the way to Lena's first class, she told Kara, "I am really sorry, you know. And I definitely wouldn't say that if it wasn't true."

"Even if you did say it, I'd know if you didn't mean it," Kara chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, remember?"

Rolling her eyes, and without thinking, Lena leaned to the side and playfully knocked into Kara's shoulder. Kara felt her heart flutter, and it stunned her so much that she nearly stumbled. She had to look away. Her own cheeks were feeling warm, and the last thing she wanted was for Lena to notice.

When they finally reached Lena's classroom, Kara stopped and hesitated before saying, "Lena… I really enjoy talking with you. Thank you for tolerating me enough to offer me your time."

"You're… You're not upset with me?" the brunette asked apprehensively, making Kara shake her head.

"Not at all. Like I said, I'll never get picked for Head Girl, so it's fine."

"Your dream isn't stupid, Kara, and I think you really do have a chance. I mean, look at you. You're a teacher's pet. Everyone loves you. And you're genuinely good. That's the perfect blend of qualities for a Head Girl to have. And besides, you're already a prefect, which increases your chances."

Kara shrugged and changed the subject, asking, "I'll see you around?"

Lena paused and looked at Kara. Really looked at her. Saw the way the sun streamed through the window and reflected off her glasses. Watched the way Kara's gentle nature was displayed all over her face. As she stared, she forgot to respond.

"Lena? You okay?" Kara pressed, touching the girl's shoulder and shaking her from her trance.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I'm good. Anyway, yes. I'd love to see you again."

What was this, a fucking date? Lena silently scolded herself. Hardly. What the fuck am I saying?

"Me too," Kara confessed, her smile making Lena melt further into a dazed stupor. When Kara noticed she wasn't replying, she asked, "Lena? You sure you're good?"

Lena nodded and mumbled, "Sorry. Anyway… M-Maybe we could hang tomorrow?"

"Sure! I'll be studying in the library tomorrow night if you feel like joining me."

Lena agreed and offered Kara a weak smile, feeling her chest tighten as they said their goodbyes. Being near Kara was the first time she'd ever not felt lonely. Reluctantly, and only after Kara walked away, Lena entered the classroom.


	3. Chapter 3

The library was far from populated when Kara entered the next evening and found her way to the back corner and spread her materials out over a large desk. At first, she was grateful for this, as she knew it would help her stay focused on her studies. But to her surprise, this only lasted a few brief minutes before her mind wandered to her new acquaintance. Kara found herself looking at her watch repeatedly, after each paragraph she read in her book, until finally, a shadow appeared beside her.

"Damn, you're quiet," Kara said, upon jumping slightly in her seat after noticing Lena's silent presence.

Lena shrugged and sat down across from Kara at the table.

"How was your day?" she asked, offering Kara a smile.

"It was alright," Kara said quickly.

But she was thinking, _I missed you._

"What about yours?" Kara asked curiously, pushing her book away towards the middle of the table and leaning back in her chair.

"It was…. eventful," Lena mused, setting her pile of books on the table.

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. I got caught cheating on my transfiguration exam."

"First off, how do you even manage to _cheat_ on an exam like that? And second of all… _What?_ Lena, that's awful! Why would you—"

"Geez, Danvers, I was just kidding! I don't need to cheat to ace my tests," Lena laughed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Scowling in Lena's direction, Kara let out an audible huff and muttered, "Not funny. You know I'm a prefect. I can't let _everything_ slide."

"Aww, c'mon," Lena sang. "You'd let me get away with anything. You're too sweet to rat me out."

Kara hesitated. Lena was wrong, wasn't she? Of course Kara would be honest. Well, maybe not about walking the halls at night, but anything else she'd really have to report. Especially cheating on a test.

"That's not true," Kara finally asserted. "I take my prefect duties seriously."

Lena smiled at her and said, "I'm glad to hear it. I don't want to be treated with favoritism."

Raising an eyebrow, Kara asked, "Really? You don't think I'm a nerd?"

"Oh, you're a nerd alright. But you're funny and sweet and you stick to your values, and I find that to be a very admirable quality, even if I don't take my own behavior as seriously as you do. I admire you for holding true to your morals, even with friends."

 _Friends?_ Kara was thinking. Just a few days ago, Lena was being standoffish in the hallway. Now, she's calling her a friend?

"Um…" Kara started, looking up at Lena. "Thank you." Then, after a bout of silence fell between them, Kara continued, "So… still reading about the mirror?"

Lena nodded casually and looked down at her stack of books.

"It's interesting," the brunette finally replied. "They say men have gone crazy staring into it, longing for what they see."

"Then why do you want to find it?" Kara asked curiously, resting her hands on the table.

"Oh… Um… I don't know… I mean…" Lena fumbled, cheeks tinting a shade of pink. "We all want what we can't have, don't we?"

Kara offered a puzzled expression as she looked at Lena, and when the girl didn't say anything, she gently pressed, "And what do you want?"

"I don't _know_ ," Lena groaned, opening the book on top of her pile and covering her face with it. "That's the thing."

"I don't get it," Kara admitted, befuddled. "How do you not know what you want most in the world?"

"Well, do _you_ know what you want?" Lena quipped back, dropping the book with a loud bang and earning scowls from the students around them.

Kara paused, then quickly realized that she wasn't _quite_ sure.

"Well, I… I mean… um… I guess I want to play quidditch professionally."

"You guess?"

"Well, yeah."

"See, that's it precisely. You're guessing. We're all only guessing. And I… I don't even have a _guess._ I don't know what I want. Who I want to be. What I want to do with my life. I have _no_ idea," Lena confessed, the words pouring out like sand through and hourglass. "I know what my parents want, and what I've been told I should want, but I don't know what _I_ want."

Kara watched silently for a few moments, giving Lena the space to cool down from her outburst. Even as Lena appeared furious, Kara was stunned by her beauty, so even after she wanted to speak, she found herself unable to do so.

"Do you see why now?" Lena asked the girl, shaking Kara from her distracted trance. "Do you see why I need to find it?"

Kara shrugged her shoulders and answered, "I think you'll find out what you want anyway. We're both still really young. We'll figure it out as we get older."

"I don't have _time_ for that, Kara! I graduate this year! I need a _job,_ and I need to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with my life."

"Well, what if the mirror doesn't show you an occupation? What if it shows you, like… I dunno. A cat or something."

"A cat?" Lena asked quizzically, not understanding where Kara was going with this.

"I dunno. It's the first thing I thought of. Sorry. I just mean, what if it's not a _job_ that you want most in the world?"

Lena looked stunned, as though she'd never considered this possibility before. Her family was so incredibly powerful and vocationally driven that she'd never thought of the meaning of life being anything other than an occupation.

"I don't know," Lena breathed, lowering her forehead until she was resting her head face-down in the book. "I'd just have to off myself at that point."

"Hey!" Kara hissed, in a yell-whisper, reaching out and grasping Lena's forearm. "Don't say that! You are not your job. You're you. Lena. Lena Luthor. No matter what you do for a job. Okay?"

Lifting her head, Lena looked into Kara's eyes and sighed.

"My family will disown me if I don't do what they want anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter what I want."

"And what do you they want you to be?"

"They want me to be a professor here."

"Well, that's cool, right?" Kara asked, sounding genuine.

"They want me to be a professor here so that I can become headmistress of the school."

Leaning back in her chair, Kara went wide-eyed and breathed, "Wow. That's a little intense."

"They want me to be in power. Lex is working towards becoming the Minister for Magic. The least I could do was make headmistress here."

"Wow, Lena. That's… a lot of pressure."

"You think I don't know that?" Lena snapped. "That's what I live with every single day. Their bullshit expectations of me."

"Hey… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Do you want to change the subject? Or we can go outside. It's snowing."

"It's dark out."

"So?"

"So… I mean… It's cold, and…"

"Since when is Miss Lena Luthor bothered by the cold?"

"I'm _not,_ " Lena whined, exasperated. "I'm sorry, Kara. I'm just… worked up. It's stupid. I need to just get over it. I just… Nevermind. You're right. Let's go outside."

After putting their things away, the two made their way out into the courtyard that was lit up by lampposts and walked side-by-side down the path.

"Kara?" Lena finally asked, after silence fell between them and all they could hear was other students being rowdy nearby.

"Hmm?"

"I don't want… I don't want power."

Stopping in her tracks, Kara nodded her head and said, "I understand."

Lena looked incredibly sullen, though, and despite how incredibly beautiful her solemn features were, Kara wanted her smile to return more than anything. That being the case, Kara made a bold move and gracefully grabbed Lena's green and silver scarf from around her neck and tugged it off, bolting for the other side of the courtyard.

"Bet ya can't catch me!" Kara shouted, grinning back at Lena, who was standing in place, dumbfounded.

"Give it back!" Lena called out, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kara continued to laugh as she wrapped the Slytherin scarf around her neck, on top of her own gold and scarlet scarf.

"Hey, look!" she yelled. "Lena, I'm a Slytherin now!"

"Hardly!" Lena huffed, scowling.

"Aww, c'mon, Lena! Don't you think I can pull it off?"

"You look ridiculous!"

Still smiling, warm and bright, Kara walked back over to her friend and unwrapped the scarf from around her neck. Holding it out to Lena, she waited, but when Lena reached for it, Kara tugged it away.

"Fight me for it."

"Don't be stupid," Lena barked. "Give it back. You're making a scene."

"Let them look," Kara said confidently, taking a daring step closer.

More than anything – _anything_ – she wanted to kiss those deep red lips. Knowing full well she couldn't, Kara felt a crashing wave of reality collapse over her and immediately let the scarf drop back into Lena's hands.

"Sorry," she mumbled, taking a large step away and dropping her gaze to her boots. "That was stupid."

Lena hesitated, watching the way Kara's hair fell in her eyes and covered her glasses when she looked down that way.

"Kara… It's… It's okay. I shouldn't have been so serious… You were just joking. I'm sorry."

"I should walk you back to your dorm," Kara said softly, not making eye contact.

"Kara. Hey. Come on."

"We should go."

"Kara!"

Shaking her head, unable to wipe the expression of intense disappointment from her features, Kara took several steps back towards the castle as Lena watched, completely confused by the girl's rapid change in demeanor. Feeling as though she'd done something wrong, Lena followed Kara into the castle, keeping a short distance from her as she walked.

Kara didn't know if she had it in her to walk Lena all the way to her common room to say goodbye. She wasn't sure she even had the strength to walk away saying nothing. The unusual, unfamiliar pangs of longing were twisting her guts into shapes she'd never even imagined possible. But Lena was oblivious, and Kara knew this, so she simply kept her head down and forced herself to take every solemn step to the Slytherin common room.

"Kara," Lena whispered, bravely taking her friend's hand. "What just happened back there?"

Kara shook her head and muttered, "Gotta go. Have a good night."

"I… Okay, I guess… I'll, um… see you around?"

Kara nodded weakly and walked away, feeling pathetic for the longing that had bubbled up within her.

Lena spent the rest of the evening in a lounge chair near the fire, thinking about the way Kara had stolen her scarf with such a bright, incredible smile until she fell asleep in the chair.


	4. Chapter 4

Lena didn't see Kara over the next few days, and she quickly took to feeling dejected and melancholy. Kara was the only person who had ever really taken an interested in her as a person. Just as… Lena. And now, Lena was sure, Kara hated her. At least, that's how it seemed to her, given Kara's sudden change in attitude at the end of their last meeting, and their lack of contact since. She wanted to give up on Kara. To forget about their few, precious interactions where Lena had felt strangely comfortable and content. To make it all go away so she didn't have to remember what it felt like to be appreciated for who she was.

And she tried. She really did. In fact, she tried so hard to forget that she couldn't sleep. So, for the very first time, Lena snuck out of the common room portrait around 2:30 in the morning and slipped into the dimly lit corridors of the castle, in search for what she so deeply longed for.

 _Maybe Kara was right, though_ , Lena thought. _Maybe I should leave this alone and just figure out what I want as it comes._

But the thought of her end-of-year N.E.W.T.s made her shudder as she pulled her robes around herself just a little tighter. She had to know. Had to take a chance that this mirror would tell her everything she needed to know about her future. Then again… what if she never _got_ what she wanted? What if the mirror did drive her mad with longing?

Lena shook her head, tearing herself away from those thoughts. _I have to try,_ she told herself. _I have to know._

As her luck would have it, she didn't get far. In fact, she ran right into a group of seventh-year Gryffindors arguing in the corridor. Before she could back away in silence, they noticed her.

"Oy!" a male called out. "Slytherin. This is _our_ little get-together, and you're not invited!"

"I was just taking a walk," Lena scrambled to say, as one particularly aggressive looking Gryffindor girl advanced on her.

"Well, can't take any chances about that now, can we? What if your wise-ass Slytherin mouth went and told on us? Hmm?" she taunted.

Lena reached for her wand, but the other girl was faster and raised the wand before Lena could fully grasp hers.

"Petrif—" the girl started, attempting the Full Body-Bind curse.

But before she could complete the spell, Lena heard a loud voice calling out from directly behind her.

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

That was Kara's voice.

Lena moved to turn and look as the sound of the student's wand hitting the floor echoed, but she was so startled by the sound of Kara's strong, authoritative tone of voice that she felt her heart nearly stop as she fainted in place, her head hitting the cold stone floor of the castle corridor.

"Aw, shit," one of the male Gryffindors huffed, ignoring the Slytherin. "Shoulda known you'd show up, Kara. Thanks a lot. We were having a blast! This terrible, sneaky Slytherin was just about to get her ass beat."

"Listen," Kara snapped, kneeling beside Lena and lifting her head off the floor and onto her lap. "The three of you are going to polish trophies in the trophy room with Filch tomorrow night. And fifteen points from Gryffindor."

"Are you _serious?_ " the other boy blurted. "Kara, you know that's _your_ house right?!"

"Fifteen points _each,_ " Kara clarified. "And the professors will back me on this. I'm also sure you're well aware that violence and bullying of any kind are not tolerated in this school. I'm incredibly disappointed to see members of my own house here, picking on another student and sneaking about after hours doing gracious-knows-what."

"But _Kara,_ " the girl whined. "We're going to lose the house cup!"

"Then you shouldn't have been out here after curfew wandering the halls like a bunch of buffoons and attempting to use to the Full Body Bind curse on another student! Now get back to your dorm! Rest assured, the professors will know about this first thing in the morning. And I will make damn well sure that you're there tomorrow night, polishing those trophies until they make the reflections of your smug little faces shine."

Lena finally stirred in Kara's arms, her eyes fluttering open as her hands flew up to her head to hold it, drawing Kara's attention immediately. Heart racing as relief washed over her at seeing Lena awake, Kara protectively pulled her slightly closer.

"Oww," Lena moaned, rubbing the back of her head as she started to sit up.

"She better get detention too!" the Gryffindor girl called back, after taking a few steps away from the prefect.

Carefully, Kara helped Lena sit up, but wouldn't allow her to stand, ignoring the Gryffindors as they walked away.

"Sit for a minute," the prefect ordered. "You hit your head pretty badly. You were out for about a minute."

"Kara," Lena whispered, leaning back against Kara's strong arms.

The blonde nodded and gently nudged Lena's hands away from the back of her head and replaced them with her own.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," Lena told her honestly. "It hurts."

"Let's get you to the hospital wing," Kara offered.

"But I—"

"Just sit for a minute, though." Lena, frustrated by her own incapacitation, went quiet and remained in Kara's arms, shutting her eyes and privately savoring the feeling of Kara's hands supporting her head. After a minute or so, Kara announced, "Okay. Come on," shifting them so that she was out from under Lena, then lifted the brunette up into her arms, bridal style.

"Holy shi—" Lena gasped, upon being lifted so swiftly into Kara's arms. "You're _strong._ "

"Quidditch," Kara explained simply, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

She wasn't sure if she liked the compliment or hated it. Lena was giving her more attention than she could handle in that moment – or at all, really – so she ended the conversation by going silent. Luckily, the hospital wing wasn't too far, so Kara didn't get tired carrying Lena there.

Still, Lena offered, "You can put me down, you know. I'll be okay. I'm sure I can walk."

But she knew she didn't want Kara to let her go. _This is stupid,_ she told herself. _She's just doing the prefect thing. She's obligated. It's not like she—_

"I'd rather carry you," Kara confessed, surprising Lena beyond belief. "I don't want you to trip or fall or hurt yourself more."

Staring in wonder, stunned into silence once again by Kara's kind deeds, Lena pondered her luck. On the one hand, she'd been unfortunate enough to run into a bunch of grumpy, aggressive, Slytherin-hating Gryffindors, and she'd hit her head on the floor. On the other hand, Kara had been there to help. Where would she have been without her? Probably in a Full-Body Bind, left on the floor in the corridor for someone to find tomorrow.

"Kara," Lena whispered, as they neared the doors to the hospital wing. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. And listen… I know I told you I wouldn't tell that you were going to go looking for… you know. But I caught you… and I got them in trouble… so…"

"Consequences," Lena agreed with a sigh. "I understand."

She hated that she was in trouble, but she did understand. It was Kara's responsibility to be fair, and as much as she wanted to be off the hook due to the Gryffindor's attempt to curse her, she knew Kara couldn't play favorites.

"I won't have you do detention with them, though," Kara told Lena, giving her intense relief. "I heard Professor Sprout needs some help with repotting some mandrakes tomorrow night, and that shouldn't be too hard. Second-year stuff. And… I'm sorry, but… Likely ten points from Slytherin."

Lena sighed and nodded. She hated herbology. _So boring,_ she thought. But it was only fair, and she knew Kara wasn't going to let her off the hook. She was lucky just to have detention separately from the Gryffindor buffoons. At least she didn't care about the points from Slytherin. She might've made a big deal to Kara about Slytherin winning the house cup, but she wasn't all that invested. After all, it wasn't like it mattered anyway.

"Well… We're here," Kara announced, very gently setting Lena down beside her while keeping an arm around her waist to make sure she didn't stumble.

"Kara, wait," Lena said, her voice almost a whimper as she placed her hand on Kara's forearm and leaned her weight there, having become dizzy from being set down.

"Yeah? You okay?" Kara asked, feeling herself swallow hard as she forced herself to look Lena in the eyes.

"I'm fine. But… are you angry with me?"

Kara dropped her gaze, sighing, "No, Lena. I'm not angry with you. I just wish you'd stay out of trouble so you don't get hurt like this."

"No. Kara… From before."

Eyes going slightly wide, the sixth year looked up again and found her mouth hanging very slightly open as she struggled to answer the question. No, she wasn't angry. She just felt stupid about the bubbly sensation boiling over in her stomach every time she caught Lena's piercing, bright green gaze. The Irish beauty was no match for her, and she couldn't help but feel an intense sense of longing whenever she looked at Lena's lips. She hated that. Hated her own weakness and stupid desires. She had no chance.

Finally, Kara answered, "I, um… I mean… no. No, I'm not… I'm not angry with you."

Lena wanted to ask, _Then why did you bail on me?_ but she didn't have the courage to say the words, so she simply resigned herself to saying, "Okay. Thanks for bringing me. I can walk from here."

Kara shook her head and gently moved Lena forward, leaving a strong, protective arm around her waist as she announced, "I'm going to make sure you make it to the bed. You might have a concussion."

"Madam Pomfrey," Kara announced, upon opening the door. "This student fell in the hallway, and I think she needs medical attention, if you could, please. She passed out for about a minute. Sorry to bother so late."

"Early, rather," Madam Pomfrey grumbled, helping Kara get Lena onto the bed. "You may go now, Kara. I will take care of this."

"Is… Is she okay?"

"Well, she's breathing, so that's a start."

Kara almost scowled and she gritted her teeth and forced herself to say, "Thank you."

She wasn't exactly grateful for Madam Pomfrey's flippant attitude. After all, this was a student, and her wellbeing mattered. Especially to Kara.

Then, turning to Lena, she said, "Feel better soon," and turned away before the girl could respond, unable to withstand hearing anything else from her acquaintance before leaving the room.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Kara decided to forego Quidditch practice to make a visit to the hospital wing.

Lena was asleep, and Kara was grateful not to have to look into her eyes. She sat for a while in a chair beside the bed, anxiously rubbing her thighs as she watched Lena rest. Watched every breath.

"Is she okay?" Kara asked Madam Pomfrey in a hushed whisper. "Did she hurt anything?"

"She'll be fine, Miss Danvers. She's only here for monitoring, just in case the concussion did any damage, but she's been fine all night and showed no signs of further damage," the nurse assured her. "Shouldn't you be outside getting ready for the big Quidditch match this afternoon?"

Kara hesitated, looking down, then reached beside the chair to pick up a vase full of lilies, asking, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, can I put these on the table? So she sees them when she wakes up?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"Fine, fine. Just don't make a mess."

"Do you think…" Kara started shyly, rubbing her shoe on the floor. "Do you think she'll be able to leave soon?"

"Oh, yes. Without further complications she can leave in a few hours."

Letting out an audible sigh of relief, Kara smoothed her hand over her hair and ponytail.

Then, when Madam Pomfrey finally walked away, leaving her to stare down at Lena's peaceful expression, Kara whispered, "Feel better soon, Lena."

Kara wasn't worried about playing Quidditch outside in the winter. She didn't mind the cold much. Then again, she wasn't worried about playing Quidditch at all now, really. Still, she walked solemnly to the Quidditch pitch, very nearly dragging her feet behind her, and took deep breaths along the way to calm her worries – which didn't work at all.

Instead, as she walked further and further away from the hospital wing, she felt more and more anxious. She wanted to be there when Lena woke, just to be sure. Of course, Madam Pomfrey knew what she was doing. But she'd said _without further complications._ That could mean anything. Anything could happen. Anything. And Kara wouldn't be there.

But she knew she couldn't let Gryffindor down, so when she finally gripped the broom in her hand on the Quidditch pitch, she gathered as much energy and focus as possible to kick off the ground and into the air. Unfortunately, there wasn't much energy or focus her body had to offer her.

She flew around for a while, listening to the team captain's orders, but mostly thinking about Lena lying there in the hospital bed, alone. All Kara wanted to do was to get down and go back there. But she wasn't willing to blow off her duties as Gryffindor's only Seeker. She had no backup, no stand-in. She was it. The only one on the team even _capable_ of catching the snitch. Unfortunately, though, her heart wasn't in it.

She spent the next hour warming up with her team, doing her best to stay on task, but the rest of them could definitely tell something was off.

"Oy! Danvers!" the team captain called out, flying close to her on his broom.

"Huh?" Kara answered, turning to the side to face him.

"Take a break and get your shit together. I don't know what's going on with you, but the game starts in forty-five minutes, and we can't lose it."

"I know!" Kara shouted back, scowling.

She wanted to say more. Wanted to tell him off, but knew she couldn't. It wasn't the time or place. Besides, taking her frustrations out on someone else wasn't her style. So instead, she sped towards the ground, landed, and slowly walked off the pitch, clutching her broom until her knuckles turned white.

 _Forty-five minutes,_ Kara thought. _Not enough time to make it up to the hospital wing, visit, come back, and be ready in time for the game._

Sighing, she sat down on the bench and picked up her water bottle, staring down at it as she laid her broom beside her. After a minute or two of simply staring at the bottle and forgetting why she'd picked it up in the first place, Kara finally shook herself back into the present and took a small sip. The sensation of the cool wave of fluid sliding down to her stomach was a sensation that caught her attention and grounded her in the moment, and she was grateful for that, but it didn't take long for her thoughts to wander back to the hospital wing.

Before she knew it, the team was gathered around her, talking about their plan for the Quidditch match. Kara tried to listen – really, truly tried – but everything felt like she was watching the distortion of shapes through water, with light refracting and morphing just about everything she could see. Then, after an excessively long speech about the importance of the game from their team captain, it was time to start the match.

Kara watched as the snitch was released before immediately losing sight of it as it soared above her.

 _Shit,_ she cursed silently, looking around desperately for the tiniest piece in play.

In an effort to find it, she leaned forward on her broom and sped towards the other side of the pitch where the Slytherin goal posts were.

"Come on, come on, come _on,_ " she whispered, wanting nothing more than to get the match over with quickly so she could check on Lena.

Finally, she caught sight of it.

The snitch was hovering to the left of the nearest goal post, heavily guarded by the unknowing Slytherin keeper. Thinking nothing more than, _Let's get this over with_ , Kara flew directly for it at full speed.

What Kara didn't see – or hear – was the bludger that was soaring directly towards her. Just as her fingertips touched the snitch, she heard the loud crack of her left arm snapping. Luckily for her team, as this was happening, her fingers were tightening around the snitch reflexively, and it was firmly in her grasp as she slid off the broom from having let go with her other hand. Nearly blacking out from the pain but kept awake by the sensation of rapidly free-falling towards the Quidditch pitch, Kara held her breath, bracing for impact.

But the impact never came.

Kara found herself floating just barely above the ground, halted slowly by what she assumed had to be magic. In too much pain to look around for who had stopped her from falling – it must've been Madam Hooch, the referee, she reasoned – she closed her eyes and waited.

Her arm, resting on her chest, felt as though it was in flames, and she knew it was shattered. A bludger was no joke, she'd discovered. It was the first time she'd ever been hit with one. Usually, she was quite good at avoiding them altogether, without help from the beaters, but today she'd been unfocused and had given a sub-par performance. So she told herself it was her own fault and willed herself to disappear to avoid the embarrassment of her team's judgment.

That judgment never came, though, because it was then that Kara realized… she still had the snitch! By some miracle, it was very nearly glued to her palm, tightly locked inside her fist.

"She got it!" she heard the Gryffindor captain shout from a distance. "She got the snitch! We won!"

At that point, Kara didn't even really mind that all he cared about was that they'd won the game. As long as her teammates weren't upset with her, that was what mattered. But she still longed to disappear. Longed to be somewhere else, where no one was staring at her. So, without opening her eyes, Kara weakly lifted her right arm, displaying the snitch to confirm her team captain's claim to victory, earning an eruption of cheers from the entire crowd – except the Slytherins, of course.

Barely listening the intense roars of victory, Kara realized she was still floating. She wasn't on the ground yet. She willed herself to open her eyes but couldn't. In too much pain to focus on keeping hold of the snitch, Kara's hand fell open, allowing the snitch to escape. Then, she felt her body sinking slowly, until at last, she was lying in the grass on the Quidditch pitch. Grateful to be on the ground, Kara let out a sigh of relief and shifted slightly, reigniting the pain in her arm.

Letting out a yelp, Kara moved to reach for her arm to touch it with her other hand, purely out of reflex, but felt her wrist gripped tightly, stopping her hand.

Eyes snapping open, Kara looked up as she heard the words, "Don't touch."

" _Lena,_ " Kara breathed, feeling her eyes water for the first time since the incident with the bludger.

Lena just nodded and supported Kara's head, just as the Gryffindor had done for her the night before. Kara felt the strange sensation of her body going soft and relaxed, while at the same time continuing to feel pangs of agony that assaulted her like repeated lightning strikes.

"Fuck," she moaned, after trying to hold in the complaint for too long.

She wanted to be strong. Wanted to sit up. Wanted to smile and claim victory of the game. But her heart wasn't in it, and it hurt too much, so she decided to drown herself in only what she could sense immediately around her. And that meant Lena. Lena's hands behind her head. Lena's bright, worried eyes. Lena's furrowed brow. Even the way she smelled. A scent dark and sensual that Kara couldn't place. In the end, she didn't care what perfume it was that Lena was wearing. She just cared that it was _Lena's._

"It's okay," Lena hushed her, just as Kara's head began to feel like it was spinning from the pain. "I've got you."

"Can you walk?" a voice asked harshly, standing near them and casting a shadow over the two girls.

Kara wanted to say yes and wanted to stand. Wanted to walk herself back to her dorm, put a band-aid on, and call it good. And she almost said, 'I'm fine.' But someone else spoke for her.

"No," Lena said firmly. "She needs a stretcher."

"Nonsense," Madam Hooch said. "It's just her arm."

Just as Madam Hooch said this and leaned down to pull Kara to her feet, Kara saw Lena's eyes go dark as she growled, "Don't touch her! She needs a stretcher."

Was Lena seriously telling _Madam Hooch_ what to do? Kara couldn't believe her ears. In fact, she was so shocked that even though she wanted once again to say 'I'm fine,' she stayed silent out of pure surprise at the way the situation was unfolding.

Madam Hooch looked at Lena for several long moments as Lena continued to scowl at her with intense Slytherin ferocity before finally conceding, "Alright, Miss Luthor. But you're escorting her to the hospital wing."

Madam Hooch summoned the stretcher and positioned it beside Kara. Lena didn't even bother to agree to her request before rising to her feet and helping the Gryffindor team captain lift Kara onto the stretcher. Unfortunately, the shift in her weight moved her arm, and Kara screamed from the agony of her shattered bones grinding together. Lena jumped at the sound as she quickly used a spell to make the stretcher float, bringing Kara closer to her.

"You're okay," Lena said hurriedly, her voice cracking and betraying her emotion. "We're gonna get you to the hospital wing, and you're going to be okay."

Kara felt tears stinging her eyes but refused to let them fall in front of Lena. She wasn't going to cry. Not like this. Not in front of _her._ So she tried to nod, but that didn't work either, which resulted in Kara simply squeezing her eyes shut to stop the tears and to keep the world from spinning quite so fast.

Soon, they were at the hospital wing, to the tune of Madam Pomfrey huffing, "Well, _now_ look who's here! Fancy that. Should've been at practice this morning, young lady! Maybe you wouldn't have fallen off your broom like that!"

Lena scowled at her, then registered what the nurse had said.

"You weren't at practice this morning?" she asked Kara quizzically, feeling absolutely certain that Kara wasn't the type to miss practice for anything in the world.

Kara couldn't speak – couldn't even open her mouth without crying out – so Madam Pomfrey happily jumped in and blurted, "No, of course not, silly. She was here bringing you flowers."

"What?!" Lena gasped, gaping at the wounded girl as she was being laid on the hospital bed. Then, more gently, she asked the blonde, "Those flowers were from you?"

Kara moaned as she was once again shifted while being adjusted on the bed, not daring to open her eyes long enough to watch the room spin. But more than anything, she wanted to see Lena. Needed to see Lena. On the other hand, she was far too embarrassed to brave seeing the look on Lena's face. In fact, Kara quickly noticed her own cheeks burning with the heat of embarrassment.

"You missed practice for me," Lena whispered, dropping to her knees beside the bed and resting her hands on the edge of the mattress, close to Kara's unwounded right side.

Staring down at Kara's hand, wanting nothing more than to touch it – both to comfort her and to express her own gratitude for what Kara had done for her – Lena went quiet, waiting for Kara to say something. Anything. Even an affirmative nod would've been fine.

But Kara said nothing.

"Move aside, Miss Luthor," Madam Pomfrey ordered shortly, giving her a gentle nudge away from the bed.

"Please, let me stay with her," Lena begged, her eyes suddenly softening into a desperate, pleading expression that even Madam Pomfrey couldn't ignore.

"Alright, but don't keep her awake. She needs rest."

"You can heal her, though, right?" Lena attempted to confirm, her voice portraying just how anxious she felt.

Hearing the desperation in Lena's voice, Kara finally braved opening her eyes. Her own locked onto Lena's face and took in her worried expression, and Kara quickly felt her heart constricting with the same longing she'd felt before the game. Except this time, she had the person of her desire directly in front of her to stare at, which made everything more intense.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ Kara scolded herself, slamming her eyes shut as tightly as she could, her face scrunching up in pain and concentration. _Don't look. Just don't look._

"Yes, Miss Luthor," Madam Pomfrey answered gruffly. "I believe that's what they pay me for here."

With a nod of gratitude, Lena looked back down at Kara's hand, never noticing that the girl had actually opened her eyes briefly to look at her. She stayed quiet as she watched Madam Pomfrey work.

"This is going to hurt, Miss Danvers," the woman told her, finally looking at least somewhat apologetic.

Lena winced as the woman waved her wand over Kara's arm, and even had to close her eyes for a fraction of a second when she heard Kara's cry of pain.

"Is she okay?" Lena gasped, reflexively grabbing Kara's right hand.

"Miss Luthor!" Madam Pomfrey snapped. "If you cannot be quiet, you will simply have to _leave._ Do I make myself clear?"

Frowning with concern, Lena went silent, still protectively holding Kara's hand, and looked down at the blonde, who she noticed had one large tear dripping down the side of her face. The Slytherin hesitated but found herself unable to refrain from reaching out to wipe it away. To Lena's surprise, when Kara felt the girl's fingertips touch her skin, her expression relaxed somewhat.

"Let her rest, Miss Luthor," Madam Pomfrey told her. "She needs peace and quiet."

Nodding sadly, Lena moved to stand up and give the other student her space and time to heal, but as soon as her fingers began to slip free from Kara's, she felt the blonde squeeze her hand tightly, almost to the point that it hurt. Kara wasn't letting go.

Eyes widened in surprise, Lena knelt back down on the floor beside the bed, stroking the back of Kara's hand with her thumb, and whispered, "It's okay. I won't go."

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed little huff before announcing, "She'll need to stay for the rest of the day but should be just fine this evening, after some rest."

"I'm not leaving, as long as she wants me here," Lena asserted.

Before hearing Madam Pomfrey's response to this claim, Kara, feeling the overwhelming dull ache pounding through her in waves, finally sensed herself losing consciousness as everything around her faded to nothing.


	6. Chapter 6

Kara woke alone a few hours later and immediately began to panic. She couldn't have explained why if she tried, but there she was, arm feeling fine but her heart and thoughts racing.

Was it a dream? Did Lena actually bring her to the hospital or—?

"Ah. Miss Danvers. Awake at last," Madam Pomfrey announced, almost as soon as Kara opened her eyes. "You sure are quite lucky Miss Luthor knows her stuff. She's quite good with magic, I hear, and it was made very clear by Madam Hooch that she saved your life today. I didn't realize it had been a near-death experience until she told me how that girl stopped you from falling head-first onto the Quidditch pitch. Dangerous sport, it is. Nonsense, really. No student should be allowed to get up on a broom and risk their life over a ridiculous _game._ "

Kara's attention faded after 'Quidditch pitch.' It was real. Lena _had_ brought her to the hospital wing. And _she'd_ been the one to cast the spell to save her from falling? Kara was sure it had to have been a professor. But no. Lena. Lena saved her life.

This, of course, did nothing to help Kara's feelings subside. Then again, she reasoned, Lena was simply doing the right thing. No one wants to see someone _die_ on the Quidditch pitch. After all, she didn't stay in the hospital wing. When had she left? Kara could hardly remember anything except the spell Madam Pomfrey had used to put her bones back together and the excruciating pain it had intensified. Despite her intense desire to remember Lena being there, all she could see was Lena being beside the bed, talking to Madam Pomfrey. But what had they been saying? As hard as she tried, Kara couldn't recall the words. All she knew was that Lena was gone now, and that she was alone. Even her teammates weren't there visiting her.

 _Well, that's lame,_ she thought. _I won them the match. The least they could do was bring me some chocolate frogs. I'm fucking starving._

"Can I go eat?" Kara asked suddenly, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's monologue.

"I think you should—"

"I'm really hungry," Kara pressed. "I feel like I've been sleeping for a year."

"Miss Danvers, I really think that you should wait for Miss—"

But Kara wasn't listening. She sat up slowly, to make sure she didn't make herself dizzy, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Grabbing her glasses off the table beside the bed, Kara put them on and started to stand up.

Then, a voice called out, "Whoa! Where are you going?"

It was Lena.

Heart leaping, Kara stared as the girl entered the wing and walked towards her with a tray in her hands. As she got closer, she noticed what was on it: a steaming plate of food, straight from the Great Hall. It must've been time for dinner.

"Lena—" Kara started, stumbling back slightly from the surprise of seeing her after resigning herself to the fact that Lena had left her in the wing by herself.

"Miss Danvers thinks she's leaving," Madam Pomfrey announced, turning to Lena.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kara," Lena said shortly. "You'll do no such thing until you've eaten. Back in bed with you."

"But I'm—" Kara tried, before getting cut off by Lena's next orders.

"Sit up, though, so you can hold the tray. And be careful; it's hot."

"Lena—"

"Shh," Lena hushed her. "Eat."

With that, Kara reluctantly swung her legs back onto the bed and relaxed against the pillows that were propping her up from behind. The brunette gracefully set the tray down on Kara's lap and sat down on the bed beside her, pressing the silver utensils into her hand.

"Eat," she repeated, when Kara simply stared down at the food, amazed by Lena's kindness. When Kara finally lifted the fork and moved it rapidly towards her mouth, Lena barked, "Blow on it, you ridiculous dork! I said it's hot!"

Kara blushed, realizing that what Lena had just said was entirely true. Pausing to slow herself down – she _was_ starving – Kara blew on the contents of the fork before putting it in her mouth.

"Good," the Slytherin praised her, offering a slight smile of encouragement as her tone of voice softened.

It was so incredibly _wonderful_ to hear Lena speak to her with gentleness that Kara almost felt herself melting on the bed. In fact, she nearly dropped her fork as her gaze caught Lena's and she began to stare, her mouth watering for a very different reason.

"Kara. _Eat_ ," Lena urged her. "Please. You haven't had anything all day. Madam Pomfrey said you didn't go to breakfast and slept through lunch."

Lena was right, and her words made Kara's stomach growl loudly, making her blush further as she took a few more quiet bites of food, being careful not to spill any on herself.

"Lena," she finally whispered, daring to look up from her tray once again, after taking a long drink of water. "Thank you."

Voice dropping low and becoming so soft that Kara almost couldn't hear her, Lena said, "Please, don't do that."

Tilting her head in confusion, Kara asked, "Do what?"

"Don't thank me. I just didn't want you to starve."

"Or die, apparently," Kara pointed out, making it Lena's turn to blush.

"I-I just…"

Kara waited for the rest of the sentence, but it didn't come, so she went quiet and finished off the last few bites of her meal without speaking.

Finally, when Lena saw her finish everything on her plate, the Slytherin said impulsively, under her breath, "I could never let you die."

Not knowing how to respond and instead feeling an intense wave of surprise as Lena made her confession, Kara pondered just how sweet Lena's words truly were. Then again…

"You wouldn't let anyone die," Kara told her dismissively. "Anyway, how'd you even do that spell so fast? It was, like, seconds before I was going to hit the ground."

Lena sighed, both hating and loving the fact that Kara had essentially ignored and brushed off her vulnerable admission, before replying, "I've always been good at spells. I learn quickly and it doesn't take me long."

Kara knew this wasn't Lena bragging; it was just a statement of fact, so she remained quiet as Lena opened her mouth to explain further.

"Well… Okay. Maybe not," Lena began to confess, revising her previous statement. "I guess when I saw that bludger hit you… everything just stopped. The world ceased to move and all I could see was you sliding off that broom. As soon as you let go, I just… reacted on instinct. Nothing else mattered in that moment but keeping you safe." As soon as she'd said it, Lena immediately reddened in the face and hated the rawness and vulnerability of her words, so she corrected herself again, adding, "You've always been nice to me. I wouldn't want you to get hurt… or worse. You probably would have died if you'd hit the ground, and no one deserves to go out that way."

Kara stared, and her mouth likely would've fallen open, had she not been forcibly clenching her jaw. Her emotions had just skyrocketed and crashed hard, just the way she'd maneuvered her broom during the match. Heart throbbing more than her arm ever had, Kara's eyes fell to Lena's lips, and she felt herself wishing nothing more than to kiss them. She couldn't stand the feeling, so she tore her eyes away almost immediately and swallowed everything about to come up like vomit. Every emotion, every desire, every feeling of longing, every smile, every move she could have made.

 _It's not like that,_ she told herself, continuing to clench her jaw so much that it was starting to hurt, this time to distract herself from crying. Then, in her head, she forced her mind to say, _It'll_ _ **never**_ _be like that. We're not even friends. She's kind. That's it. That's all there is to it. Say thank you and shut the fuck up._

But Kara couldn't say it, for fear that if she unclenched her jaw, her mouth would open and betray her with words she refused to and couldn't say. Shouldn't say. _Wouldn't_ say.

So she stayed quiet, and Lena's brow furrowed in response to her silence.

Pushing her knife and fork around her plate, making a sudden, obnoxious screeching noise to distract herself, Kara stared at the tray, her eyes glazing over as she faded into a different reality. One where she and Lena had never met. One where she didn't feel this way. One where she could breathe again. One where she didn't have to feel the burn of longing with no hope of resolution. One that was safe.

This lasted a while before Lena could stand the silence no more and said, "Would you like me to leave? You should probably rest some more."

Not knowing what to say, Kara bit her lip and found herself unable to look up to meet the Slytherin's gaze. Maybe Lena should've just let her fall. Darkness would be better than this. A very different kind of pain. Something she wanted to reject wholeheartedly, but couldn't. Maybe she could ask Madam Pomfrey for a potion just to make her sleep forever. Then, Lena wouldn't have to feel bad for letting her die, and she could regain control over her life and maybe even stop the pain. But Kara knew that even if the nurse gave her a potion like that – which she wouldn't, of course – she'd just dream of Lena for the rest of her life, locked in a fantasy she could never have. But was that better? In her dreams, she could pretend.

But Kara didn't want to pretend. And she didn't really want to die or sleep forever. She just wanted this longing – this intense _pain_ – to stop. For the vice around her heart to stop squeezing every breath from her.

Then, after taking quite some time to ponder all this, she remembered that Lena had asked her a question. What had she even said? Kara couldn't remember.

"Huh?" she asked, looking at Lena with a blank expression and feeling embarrassed for not really hearing her.

"I asked if you'd like me to leave," Lena said simply, her face suddenly void of the emotion it had been displaying when she'd asked the question the first time.

Lena didn't want to go. Didn't want to leave Kara alone. _Where were her teammates anyway?_ Lena wondered. _Some friends._ But she also didn't want to sit here in silence with Kara ignoring her, giving the impression that she'd rather be alone. Lena didn't want to fight for Kara's attention or force her into tolerating her presence. And she still didn't know what had really caused Kara to have the reaction she did the night she'd stolen her scarf.

 _I should've just let her have it,_ Lena thought, intensely regretting the way the evening had gone and the fact that she still wasn't sure what Kara was really reacting to. Then, she started to wonder, _Maybe if I wasn't such a jerk…_

"You can do what you'd like," Kara finally answered, forcing herself to sound nonchalant and apathetic.

This hurt, though. _She doesn't care,_ Lena thought. _I should just leave her alone. I'm being pathetic._

Clearing her throat to eliminate the possibility of her voice cracking and betraying that she was on the verge of tears, Lena said simply, "I guess I should let you rest. Thank you for the flowers this morning."

Kara's face drained of color. How did she know? Who told her? _Ugh. Madam Pomfrey. Huge mouth, that one,_ Kara thought.

"Don't mention it," Kara said dismissively, not addressing the fact that Lena was electing to leave as she watched the brunette stand up.

They were too close anyway. Kara couldn't stand it. She was sure that if Lena stayed, she would touch her, and she knew that would burn, so she found herself grateful for her ability to become somewhat callous and stoic enough to let her go. _Saves me the shame of crying in front of her,_ Kara reasoned.

She continued to watch as Lena said nothing and walked away.

As soon as Lena heard the doors close behind her, she covered her mouth to stifle a sob. She'd never had a friend. Never had anyone to be as kind to her as Kara had. But that was just who Kara was. Lena couldn't picture her being unkind to anyone, even a Slytherin. She'd even offered the sweater off her back. Carried her all the way to the hospital wing. Given her flowers.

But all for nothing. She wanted her to leave. So Lena did. She left Kara there, like everyone else in her own life had left her. Feeling her chest heave a few times, nearly letting out the sob she was fighting so hard to silence, Lena waited a few moments and tried to breathe as she tried to think of anything – _anything_ – other than Kara. To absolutely no avail.

So she made her way back to the Slytherin common room, having won the battle with her tears – without spilling a single one – and found herself beyond grateful that she was able to stifle any emotion she was feeling enough that no one would notice. Still, she hid herself in a chair in the corner and continued to fight off thoughts of the girl she'd so nearly considered her only friend.

Back in the hospital wing, Kara, of course, was nearly in tears as well.

It didn't help when Madam Pomfrey approached her bed, shaking her head with obvious disappointment and informing her, "Miss Danvers, that girl held your hand through your healing spell and for two and a half hours after, only leaving to make sure you were fed. And you just let her walk away. It's really a shame that you would reject someone who saved your life and refused to leave your side for anything other than to care for you."

Kara's mouth dropped open as her jaw finally unclenched from shock. _She held my hand?_ Kara thought, not believing what she'd heard. _For two and a half hours?_

Then, the blonde had the sudden realization that Lena had even attended her very first Quidditch match in all her seven years of school. Before Kara allowed the question of 'why' to take space in her mind, the incredible, overwhelming explosion of guilt ripped through her like a crushing tidal wave, and she began to sob.

_What the fuck have I done?_

She consoled herself with one thought only, forcing down any others that threatened to bleed into her consciousness and reignite her emotions: _She's a good person. She was just being nice. That's it. Nothing more._

Locking away the other possibility – that Lena liked her too – in a deep, steel box, far away from her heart, Kara forced herself to stop crying and allowed herself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know. Angsty and sad :P Don't hate me! Stay tuned for next week's chapter to see how this plays out... and as always, thanks for reading! Feel free to comment or hit me up on Tumblr (handle: echelonwarfare).


	7. Chapter 7

Kara spent the next few days mostly alone. Her teammates apologized for not visiting her in the hospital wing, citing Great Hall celebrations of near-riot status as the reason for their absence. Kara understood – mostly – and could really only think of Lena anyway.

And the more she thought about it – and thought about it and thought about it – the less and less she was able to tolerate her own treatment of the Slytherin. _I shouldn't have let her walk away feeling like I didn't want her there,_ Kara told herself. _Even if she didn't really want to stay, the least I could've done was express my appreciation._ She felt weak for shutting down and selfish for pushing Lena away just to protect her own feelings.

Eventually, she could sit with the guilt no longer and decided it was high time to suck it up and deal with her own bullshit, for Lena's sake and for her own self-respect. Right now, she had none, and the only way to get it back was to go and apologize.

Still, just _thinking_ about Lena's shimmering green eyes made her stomach turn, and as she walked towards the Slytherin common room alone late one evening, she wasn't quite sure she would make it the whole way without turning back with her metaphorical tail between her legs.

She did make it, though. Standing on wobbly legs she was sure would give out but never did, Kara knocked on the edge of the portrait. (Prefects knew the locations of other common rooms, but not their passwords.) When a scrawny looking third year Slytherin opened the portrait, Kara did her best to use her most authoritative prefect voice as she announced, "I'm a prefect, and I need to speak to Lena Luthor. Could you grab her for me?"

"I mean, I could grab her, yeah, but she'd probably slap me," the third year remarked, grinning from ear to ear.

Kara rolled her eyes as the young man continued to smirk, and before she could get another word in, Lena was pushing the boy aside.

"Move," Lena grumbled at him. "Go grab someone your own age."

When Lena saw who was standing there, though, having overheard the conversation they'd had but not quite picked up on who was speaking, her eyes went wide with surprise. After days of absence, here Kara was, standing in front of the entrance to _her_ common room.

"Um… Hey," the brunette finally greeted the prefect, as casually as possible, while pushing some of her hair behind her ear. "What's up?"

"I, um…" Kara started. "I wanted… I came here… Uh. Well…"

Knowing full well she was staring but finding herself having quite suddenly become brainless, Kara continued to stare at the Slytherin. She also continued to fumble for words for a few brief moments before finally giving up, holding out her hand, and passing Lena a yellow rose.

"Sorry," she mumbled, dropping her gaze all the way down to her own shoes as Lena held the rose in her hands and stared down at it.

After some time recovering from her own surprise, the older girl looked up and managed to say, "It's yellow."

At first, Kara didn't know where she was going with this, so she just nodded her head in response.

Then, Lena added, "It means friendship."

Kara's eyes went slightly wide as she mumbled, "Yeah, um… I mean… I just picked them. I didn't—" But she couldn't finish the lie, so she simply ended with, "Yeah. I mean, I know you don't do friends or anything. I just… um… wanted to say sorry."

"For what?" Lena asked, sounding sincere.

"For being an ass," Kara explained simply. "For not thanking you the way I should have for saving my life. For staying with me when no one else did."

Sighing, Lena said, "Kara. You don't have to apologize. Or thank me. I just care." As soon as Lena heard her own words, she quickly added, "About people."

But she hated the sound of her own correction. Hated that she'd just taken away the importance of Kara as an individual. So badly, she wanted to say, _I care about_ _ **you**_ _._ It just wouldn't come out. She couldn't let it come out. It would sound stupid, and that was the last thing Lena wanted: to sound stupid in front of Kara.

"Oh," Kara said simply. Then, looking as sad and ashamed as she felt, Kara finished, "Anyway, thank you, and I do sincerely apologize for my reprehensible behavior before. You didn't deserve that kind of disrespect and I'm sorry."

"Kara…" Lena said softly, trying to find the right words. "Why did you really choose yellow roses?"

"You don't like yellow, do you?" Kara laughed, trying to make light of the situation.

"Well, considering it's Hufflepuff's house colors, of course I don't," Lena teased, temporarily playing the role of a typical Slytherin. "But seriously. Kara. Why yellow roses? You could have chosen _any_ flower… but you didn't, did you?"

"Lena, listen. I was just… just trying to apologize."

"Alright," Lena sighed. More coldly, and with less emotion, she added, "Well… Apology accepted. You can go, now that your conscious is clear."

"Lena!" Kara cried, a little louder than she'd intended to. "It's not like that."

"Then tell me the truth!" Lena cried.

"Alright!" the younger girl shouted, her cheeks becoming warm with exasperation. "I chose yellow roses because all I could think about was how badly – how desperately – I wanted your friendship. Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Me sounding like an idiot? Begging a Slytherin to care about a Gryffindor?"

Lips parting, Lena began to stare at Kara, whose features had twisted into ones of frustration. Kara was nearly panting from the effort of her own confession, too emotionally heightened to feel the shame that she knew would come as soon as she turned to walk away. Kara knew her efforts would be fruitless. But all she could think of in that moment was how desperately she wanted to tell Lena _everything._ The _whole_ story. But that wasn't an option, so she got as close to the truth as humanly possible and waited for Lena's reply.

Finally, it came when Lena whispered, "I do care about you, Kara."

"You care about _people_ ," Kara challenged, not angry but also unwilling to let this slide.

Lena sighed and took a step closer to Kara, looking into her eyes, saying, "That was a stupid thing to say, and I'm sorry. I do care about people – I'm not my parents – but it wasn't what I meant. It felt too… real… to say I care about you personally. It felt weird in my head to think of you being the exception. To think of you actually being my friend. Because Luthors don't have friends, Kara. I _can't_ have friends. But I do care about you." Then, Lena emphasized, "You. Kara Danvers."

"You think you can't have friends because you're a Luthor?" Kara questioned, after a long pause of consideration.

It wasn't all hitting her yet. She could only take in so much at once. All she could think was, _Does she_ _ **want**_ _to be my friend and just feels like she_ _ **can't?**_

Kara would take that. Kara would take that in a heartbeat. She was feeling stupider and stupider by the minute for pushing Lena away. Her own selfishness had got in the way of attempting a friendship with Lena, and that reality was crashing down on top of her with every word from Lena's lips.

"Wait," Kara said, cutting Lena off before she could answer the first question. "I made a big mistake, Lena. Bigger than I thought. I did honestly think you were just being nice to be nice. And before… when we took that walk outside… I just figured… I realized that you probably wouldn't want to waste your time on a Mudblood Gryffindor."

The words hurt, coming out. Kara didn't really care that she had only partially Wizard blood, and she hated being called a Mudblood, because she knew it was incredibly derogatory, so she generally didn't use that word. But she knew that any Slytherin was likely to have difficulty tolerating the presence of one in the school, and she wasn't sure if Lena was aware that she wasn't a pure blood. She also knew that Lena's parents were part of the crusade to rid Hogwarts of Mudbloods back in their day, and that didn't exactly up her chances of success at friendship with the youngest Luthor.

Kara had drifted away to these thoughts briefly and only returned when she finally noticed the look of horror on Lena's face. That hurt too.

 _She must've thought I was a pure blood,_ Kara reasoned. _That's the only explanation for why she's looking at me like that, right? She probably wishes she'd let me fall now._

Feeling her whole world start to shake – Lena's expression was tearing away the entirety of the rest of their conversation about how much she cared – Kara sensed her knees going even weaker than they had been upon walking there. The only way she could've been more embarrassed was to be standing there naked. Of course, Lena didn't know she was a Mudblood. Why else would she have tolerated her presence?

"I can't believe you right now," Lena finally managed to say under her breath, cracking the long silence wide open as her expression fell.

Kara took an ungraceful, stumbling step back.

"S-Sorry," was all she could manage to stammer. She couldn't even look back up to see that Lena's expression had faded from one of complete shock to one of pain and disappointment. "I'll go. Thank you for allowing me apologize."

Dumbfounded by Kara's cluelessness, Lena almost watched her walk away. But when Kara's body was finally turned fully away from her, something in Lena snapped, and she grabbed Kara's hand on instinct, pulling her back much harder than she'd intended. Startled, Kara stared at her wide-eyed as she was jerked back in Lena's direction. Waiting to get slapped or screamed at, Kara braced herself.

But neither the physical nor emotional impact came.

"Is that really who you think I am?" Lena asked bitterly, making Kara look even more confused than she already was. When the blonde said nothing, Lena pressed on, saying, "You think I trash people because of their blood, just like my parents? I thought you knew me better than that. I might not have friends, Kara, but I'm not a hateful person. The fact that you can stand there and _assume_ that I wouldn't want to spend time with you because of your _blood_ is absolutely devastating."

Kara couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lena was shocked because Kara was assuming how she felt about her because of her parents, not because she was a Mudblood! But that meant…

"Lena, I… I didn't… I thought… I just wanted… to respect your beliefs, if you had them, and—"

"You _assumed_ I shared my parents' beliefs. I _don't,_ " Lena spat back, her face displaying genuine anger that Kara had never really seen before. "For fuck's sake, Kara. If you really thought I was a Mudblood-hater, why did you march your ass all the way over here to the other side of the castle just to say sorry? And with a fucking _friendship rose?_ "

"I told you!" Kara shouted back. "I picked it because I just… I had the thought and it just happened, okay? Look. Lena. I pulled away because I didn't want to feel the sting of rejection when you found out I was a Mudblood or got pressure from the entire Slytherin house for spending time with a Gryffindor. And I pushed you away because I thought you were just being nice and I didn't want to be an annoying fly in your ear, begging you to be friends with me. I wanted to respect you as a person. Your wants and desires and beliefs and feelings. I did a _really_ shitty job of that, because in the end I just _assumed_ what you wanted, instead of asking. That's become blatantly clear just now. And I am, really and truly, _very_ sorry. Just… please understand…"

When Kara's monologue was finished and Lena heard her trail off mid-sentence, Lena waited for a while.

Then, when Kara didn't finish, she asked, "Understand what, Kara?"

"Understand that I've wanted your friendship since I met you. My own self-deprecating bullshit and assumptions about you and your family ruined that. But just know that I've never thought less of you for what I wrongly assumed were your beliefs. I'd respect you if you didn't want to be around me, and that's why I walked away to begin with. I didn't want to have to hear you say 'fuck off' when you found out about my blood. I didn't want to work hard to be your friend only for you to decide I wasn't worth your time. I was being a coward, Lena, because I didn't want to feel that rejection. I was trying to spare us both the inconvenience of starting whatever this was and then losing it."

"You're right," Lena said coldly, taking a step back. "You did ruin it. Not because you were wrong, though. Because you actually thought, for even one second, that I was anything like them."

"Lena, I'm _sorry!_ " Kara cried. "I didn't know! I wasn't judging. Honestly! I just didn't want to put you in a bad spot. Besides, I _know_ you're already getting shit from all sides just from being seen around with me. And the rest of your house probably hates you for letting a Gryffindor live that day of the match."

"You're right about that too. I am getting shit from all sides. But unlike my parents, and unlike the person you _thought_ I was, I'm not hateful and I don't care what anyone here thinks about me or who I spend my time with. Your house never stopped me before. And your blood wouldn't have stopped me either."

Red in the face from the pure intensity of her emotions, Kara blurted out, "Well, what does it matter anyway?! You said you _can't_ have friends."

Lena froze. Kara kind of had a point there, but she still hated that the Gryffindor had seen her in such a dark light. Or at least, in the possibility of that darkness. And she had to admit: if her parents ever found out she saved a Mudblood, she'd probably be a dead girl by morning.

But that was fading fast as Lena had the realization that she didn't care all that much if she died over this. That would be the least of her problems. At least she'd die with a friend. She wanted to make her family happy more than anything – they were all she had – but for this friendship…

Lena sighed, rubbing her eyes. It was too late for that now. Everything Kara had said had ruined any chance of trust between them. There was no way.

Just to drive things home, and partially to make Kara understand exactly what she'd done, Lena revised her previous statement about their friendship, saying, "Luthors can't have friends. But I would've done it for you."

This hit Kara like a bullet train, knocking the wind from her lungs as she fell to her knees in front of Lena. Blindly, she groped for Lena's robes as she saw her vision go blurry from the hot wave of tears assaulting her cheeks, only being able to tell from her limited sight that the Slytherin was turning away from her.

"Lena," Kara sobbed, not caring how pathetic she looked in that moment but also grateful that no one else was around to see her grovel. "Lena, wait. Please. Please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know you're not like your parents. I'm sorry. I was just scared."

Lena froze in place, half turned away, feeling her heart constricting at the sight and sound of Kara becoming a sobbing heap on the floor. She'd never seen Kara like this, and she hoped she never would again. It hurt too much, to see her in pain, as mad as she was.

"Lena, please," the blonde continued to beg. "Please, don't hate me. Don't hate me. I'm sorry. I fucked up. I'm so sorry, Lena."

Feeling her own tears threatening to bubble over as a knot formed in her throat, Lena forced herself to shove Kara's hands away from her robes as she turned the rest of the way towards the common room. Feet as heavy as stone, Lena dragged herself back through the portrait and let it slam closed behind her.

Even with the door and portrait closed, Lena could hear the piercing sound of Kara's sobs as a storm formed inside her. _Don't leave her like that,_ she heard herself think. _She's your only friend._

The Slytherin's tears finally fell as she braced herself against the wall, resting her forehead against the stone, and listened closely. No signs of movement from Kara. No footsteps away from the common room. Her crying remained loud, and every single sob that Lena heard ripped deeper and deeper into her heart, until she could callous herself no longer.

Roughly wiping away her own silent tears, Lena pushed the portrait open and stepped outside, heart constricting at the sight of Kara still there, alone, in a sobbing heap on the cold stone floor.

Taking a steadying breath to humble herself and fight back her impulse to run from this, Lena found herself sinking to the floor beside the crying Gryffindor.

"Alright," she whispered, sliding her arms around Kara's shaking body as she scooted closer. Then, louder, she repeated, 'Alright. It's okay."

But Kara couldn't breathe anymore, from the intense energy it was taking just to sob as hard as she was, so she couldn't reply.

"It's okay. Kara, take a deep breath," Lena coached her. "Deep breath."

"I'm s-s-sorry," the blonde stuttered, her tears showing no signs of stopping. 'I r-ruined it. I ruined our friendship. I r-ruined everything. I'm s-so, so s-sorry."

"Kara, shh," Lena said, all of her anger fully dissipating from the excruciating sound of Kara crying. More than anything, Lena wanted to make it stop, so she continued, "It's okay. I'm right here, and I'm not going to leave. I don't care that you're not a pure blood. I don't care that you're a Gryffindor. I don't care that I'm a Slytherin. I don't care that I'm a _Luthor_. I just… care that I'm your friend."

Lena still hadn't let go of Kara and was holding her against her chest. Finally, Kara returned the embrace and began to cry into Lena's shoulder, the volume of her sobs reduced significantly.

"You don't have to—"

"Hush," Lena silenced her, reaching out to take off Kara's glasses, which now had tears all over them. After gently setting them safely to the side, Lena pulled Kara closer again and whispered, "It's okay. I know we're an unlikely pair, but we're okay, if you want us to be. I'm hurt, but I forgive you, Kara. I won't walk away."

"You w-won't?" Kara asked meekly, daring at last to look up into Lena's eyes.

She saw a few stray tears on Lena's cheeks and was surprised by this, but she found herself so incredibly grateful that Lena was giving her such a soft, almost loving gaze that relief washed over her, making her forget even her own tears.

"No," Lena confirmed. "I won't leave you."

"But won't your family disown you?" Kara sniffled, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

There were still tears left, though, so Lena leaned in, using her thumbs to gently wipe the rest on Kara's cheeks. Kara shivered at the touch and found herself incredibly glad that she couldn't see any details of Lena's face. The longing to kiss her was so painfully strong that she moved in suddenly, ducking her head and resting her forehead on Lena's shoulder to stop herself from doing anything she'd regret more later.

"They don't have to know," Lena promised. "I won't tell them if you don't."

"They're sure to know about the match, though, right?" Kara asked, her voice muffled slightly by Lena's cloak and shoulder.

"All I'll say is, 'I'm not a killer.' They don't have to know we're friends. I can leave it at that. But hey… Let me worry about that, okay? You just… start asking and stop assuming. I might surprise you, if you let me."

"I'm sorry, Lena," Kara whimpered, getting choked up once again.

"Shh. I know. Kara, it's okay. Let's move past this, alright? There's nothing I want more than to move past this and just… be… us. Okay? So if you're ever not sure about something… just ask. I'll be honest."

Kara nodded weakly, tightening her arms around Lena as they sat on the floor. After a while, the blonde sighed, tears having finally stopped completely, and looked up.

"I have to get back to the common room for evening prefect duties."

Lena bit her lip. _I don't want you to go,_ she almost said. But she held it in. Kept her shit together. Shoved it down.

"Okay," she said softly, carefully picking up her rose and Kara's glasses off the floor. As soon as she managed to stand – it took a moment, on wobbly legs – Kara hugged Lena again, so Lena whispered, "I care about you. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

Kara nodded, almost letting out a pained whimper as she put on her glasses with shaking hands. The relief was so intense that it actually hurt, and as little sense as that made, Kara could feel the sting of shock setting in. They were _friends_.

"I care about you too, Lena," Kara finally managed to reply.

She hesitated, not wanting to leave, until Lena said, "Goodnight, Kara. Be safe. I'll see you tomorrow, if you'd like. We could do breakfast."

Enthusiastically, Kara nodded and replied, "I'd love that."

Lena watched Kara leave and turn back only once to look at her with a sad expression of disappointment at their parting before returning to her common room for the evening, clutching the rose carefully to her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know... It's angsty. :P Had to be done, though! <3 Love you all!


	8. Chapter 8

The girls were gentle with each other over the next few days, knowing that either could break at any moment from as little as a word. Kara gave Lena continuous apologetic glances while eating, to which Lena would sigh, shake her head, and chastise the blonde, "Stop. It's okay." Kara would look down and away, nodding her head weakly in understanding, and then give her the look again almost immediately, as soon as Lena looked away from her. She couldn't shake the realization that she'd almost lost Lena completely. Had almost let her go. And even though each time Kara's eyes dropped to Lena's lips, she ached to kiss her, she shoved the impulse down, far from where she could reach it, and focused on their friendship. After all, she'd decided, Lena's friendship was worth all the pain in the world. If she had to bleed internally to keep Lena in her life, she'd do it.

"Kara?" Lena asked, as they sat in the Great Hall for lunch, blushing slightly when she noticed Kara looking only slightly below her eyes.

The thought – which was more like a fantasy – that Kara might be looking at her lips made Lena weak and glad she was seated, rather than standing on her legs that felt like Jell-O.

"Huh?" Kara said, startled out of her stupor of longing.

"You okay?" Lena asked with concern. "You, um… You were kinda staring."

"What? N-No, I wasn't…" Kara fumbled to say, cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "I was just…"

Not wanting to press the issue, Lena quickly recovered, saying, "Okay. Sorry. Glad you're okay."

Kara nodded and turned her attention back to her food.

"I'm not fragile, you know," Lena said suddenly, when she caught Kara once again looking at her with sadness in her eyes.

"What?" Kara asked, confused.

"You're not going to break me."

 _But I almost lost you,_ Kara wanted to say. _I can't lose you again._

Instead, she decided on, "I would never want to. I'm just… worried."

That was as close as she could get to the truth without more words tumbling out and betraying her true feelings.

"What are you worried about?" Lena asked curiously. Then, watching Kara's melancholy expression intensify and realizing exactly what she was concerned about, Lena instinctively put her hand on top of Kara's and softly promised, "I won't leave."

"Are you sure?" Kara said, almost in a whimper as her voice broke and gave away her insecurities.

Lena nodded, explaining, "I don't want to. I don't want to lose you, Kara." Then, shyly, she looked down and said under her breath, "You're my only friend."

Without hesitation, Kara started to tear up, not letting the tears fall, and embraced Lena tightly, resting her head on the girl's shoulder.

"I'll always be your friend, Lena," Kara vowed, nearly choking on the words as she considered just how much more she really wanted but knew she couldn't have.

"Do you promise?" Lena whispered, raising her gaze to meet Kara's, her voice sounding as small and unsure as Kara's had.

The blonde nodded, grasping her friend's hand and squeezing it before agreeing, "Promise."

"Pinkies don't swear?" Lena offered, lightening the mood with a smile as she flipped Kara the middle finger.

Kara laughed and wrapped her own middle finger around Lena's before leaning over and resting her head on Lena's shoulder.

"You're wonderful, you know," Kara told her, the words slipping out like a sled rapidly increasing in speed as it flew down a snow-covered hill.

Lena shook her head and mumbled, "Nah," but Kara nudged her shoulder with her head.

"Thank you for giving me a second chance, Lena," Kara managed to say, starting to choke up once again at the thought of losing the girl that had become her closest friend.

Lena shrugged and explained, "How could I not? The sound of you crying broke my heart, Kara. I can't stand to see you in pain. And honestly? A lot would be missing in my life without you in it."

Not truly believing what she'd heard, Kara asked, "Why?"

Sighing, Lena allowed herself to confess, "Because when I'm with you, I'm home. And I've never felt that before. With anyone. Even my family."

Mouth hanging slightly agape, Kara found herself not knowing what to say, but incredibly grateful for Lena's words.

"I…" Kara tried, swallowing hard. "I feel that too."

Rubbing her thumb over the back of Kara's hand, Lena smiled softly at the blonde and braved the move of kissing her cheek. Instantly, Kara turned a deep shade of red, feeling her stomach turn.

Lena, seeing Kara's reaction, mumbled, "Sorry," and quickly pulled away, scooting over slightly on the bench, away from the Gryffindor.

"No, it's… It's okay…" Kara said, choking down every word she wanted to say. "I don't mind."

Looking relieved, Lena let out a sigh and reached for Kara's hand again, holding it tightly under the table.

Of course, students from all houses were staring at them at that point, seeing the playful and loving gestures they made towards each other, but Kara and Lena didn't notice.

After a pause, Lena finally let go of Kara's hand and said, "I gotta start studying for my N.E.W.T.s. Do you want to come to the library with me?"

Kara nodded and said, "Sure," so Lena smiled and rose from the table. "It's not even Christmas break yet, though. Shouldn't you wait to study?"

Lena shook her head, telling Kara, "No way. Better to be ready than scrambling at the last minute. Besides, I need to get an exceeds expectations on all of them, or my family will lynch me." Kara bit her lip, looking at Lena sadly, to which Lena shook her head and said, "Don't. It's fine. Let's go, though, okay?"

Again, Kara nodded and followed Lena to the library, walking closer to her friend than necessary the entire way.

Sitting in the back of the library together, the girls remained quiet as Lena studied and Kara blew off her homework in favor of doodling in her notebook with her quill.

"I fucking hate divinations," Lena blurted suddenly, startling Kara to attention.

"Why?" Kara asked. "It was easy."

"It was _stupid._ I don't even know why they put it on the final exams. Absolutely pointless," Lena huffed, her aggravation displayed clearly in her facial features and body language.

"I mean, it wasn't the best class, but—"

"Studying for this is just bringing up some shit for me, okay?" Lena confessed. "It's dumb but whatever."

Kara tilted her head with curiosity and asked, "Like what?"

"When I took the class in third year, the professor predicted – and told the entire class – that I was destined for 'greatness.' Obviously, the whole class laughed, because I was mostly a nobody, in comparison to my brother. I hated it. Not the laughing, but that ridiculous 'prophecy.'"

Kara blinked several times before asking, "What's so wrong with that? I believe it."

Laughing, Lena challenged, "Me? Greatness? Seriously? Come on, Kara. I keep my head down for a reason. Only my mother thinks I should be headmistress and help take over the whole wizarding world with my brother."

"You said your brother is going for Minister for Magic, right?" Kara confirmed.

Lena nodded.

"He'll get it too, if no one steps up to stop him."

Kara laughed and teased, "Maybe it'll be me. Maybe I'll forget about Quidditch and take his job."

Lena burst out laughing, earning scowls from nearby students who were trying to study.

"You could, though!" she cried, almost crying from laughing so hard.

She was loud enough that a young Ravenclaw walked over to them and boldly asked, "Could you please keep it down? We're trying to read."

Having to cover her mouth to silence her eruption of laughter at the thought of brother being ousted by a young woman like Kara, Lena choked back the noises she was making as Kara did the same.

"S-Sorry," Kara giggled, then covered her mouth again.

After a moment, the two finally stopped laughing and returned their voices to whispers.

"I'd never want that job," Kara chuckled softly. "Just a bunch of meetings and way too much power. Give me a broom over that any day."

Suddenly looking quite serious, Lena lowered her voice and said, "You know… You'd be perfect for the job. Not power-hungry. Not pompous. Having everyone's best interest in mind. Actually… Yeah. You'd be incredible."

Kara was instantly sobered by Lena's words and the softened look she was giving her. It was something like admiration. Almost— _No. She's just thinking_ , Kara told herself, interrupting the thought that maybe Lena had love in her eyes. It looked that way, though, so even though Kara told herself to ignore it, it was difficult to do so, because Lena continued to look at her with that same expression, her lips curled upwards into a subtle smile.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" Kara finally asked, when Lena didn't say anything else.

Fighting the impulse to shake her head to clear the look off her face – and Lena knew _exactly_ what look it was – the brunette answered, "Huh? Sorry. Zoning out."

Of course, Kara immediately knew Lena was lying. It was obvious. She couldn't quite place what the look was, but she knew the Slytherin girl was thinking _something_ she wasn't saying. Still, Kara decided to let it go, preferring to be gentle rather than pushy.

"Anyway," Lena said, to shift the conversation in a different direction. "What are you doing for Christmas break?"

Kara hesitated, then answered simply, "Staying here."

"What? Why?" Lena asked, brow furrowed with concern.

Didn't everyone go home for Christmas?

"That's just what Alex and I have done every year," Kara answered with a shrug.

"Alex?"

"My sister."

"You have a sister?!" Lena gaped. "You never told me that!"

"Lena, shh! You're gonna get us in trouble," Kara laughed, noting the Slytherin's change in volume. "And yes, I have a sister. She's a seventh year."

"Wow," Lena said. "I feel weird about not knowing that until now. How could I not have asked about your family? Geez. I must talk more about myself than you do. Sorry, Kara. Apparently, I have a big mouth."

"No, no! It's really okay! I like hearing about you. I like when you tell me things about your life," the blonde assured her friend, taking Lena's hand in her own from across the table.

"What's Alex like?"

"Oh. Well… She's… I mean, she's great. We're closer now than we were before, but… I don't really tell her much. She's more into… her own thing. She wants to be an auror when she graduates. Save the world and all that."

"Oh, gosh," Lena breathed. "That's amazing. Being an auror would be awesome… I could never do it."

"You're smart enough. Bold enough. You care enough. Why not?"

Lena shook her head quickly and replied, "It's just not me. Besides, I have to be headmistress, remember?"

The brunette forced a soft laugh, trying to make light of the destiny she wanted nothing to do with, but Kara could tell it was fake.

"You should do what _you_ want to do, Lena. And I'll support you in anything you choose," Kara promised. Then, she added, "Even if it's not what your family wants."

"Really?"

"Of course, silly. What else are friends for?"

Offering a warm smile, Kara squeezed Lena's hand. Lena then went back to studying after returning the smile, and Kara went back to doodling. An hour or so later, when Lena had finally studied herself into exhaustion, she dropped the book on the table and leaned back in her chair.

"Can't do it," she huffed, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes.

When Lena's hands fell away from her face, Kara stared, noting how different she looked without the corrective lenses. With her glasses, Lena looked intelligent and beautiful. Without, she was elegant, and her cheek bones were more visible, enhancing her radiance.

"Come on," Lena said, rising from the table without noticing Kara staring and quickly putting her glasses back on. "It's snowing again."

"And?" Kara asked, tilting her head as she looked up at Lena, who was packing her books away.

"And I'm bored. Let's go outside."

With a shrug, Kara rose to her feet, gathered her things, and followed Lena out of the library.

As soon as they were outside, standing in the lamplight watching the light snow fall, Lena felt something in her stomach flip. The last time they'd been here, things had gone sour quickly. There was nothing more she wanted in the world than to keep Kara as a friend, so her glance in Kara's direction very unintentionally became one of thoughtful concern.

Kara, catching her gaze, asked, "What's wrong?"

Lena cleared the throat to shake herself from her worries and thought quickly on her feet.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how great this would look on you," the Slytherin managed to say, shocking Kara beyond belief as she slowly removed her own green and silver scarf and wrapped it around Kara's neck with care.

At first, Kara couldn't really believe it. Lena was letting her wear her scarf! The interaction was so starkly different from the one they'd had in the previous snowstorm that Kara's head was spinning. It didn't help that Lena's careful hands lightly touching her sent shivers down her spine. Quickly, the prefect reminded herself that she was not alone in a room with her thoughts, but rather in the presence of her favorite person in the world.

Diving headfirst back into the moment, Kara grinned at Lena and clapped her hands, announcing, "I knew I'd look good as a Slytherin!"

"Well…" Lena started, wearing a crooked smile. "You're not really a _Slytherin._ I mean you're wearing both scarves."

"So what does that make me?" Kara asked playfully.

"A Slytherdor?"

The two laughed, and Kara gave Lena's shoulder a strong nudge, unintentionally forcing her to stumble a step backwards and slide in the snow until she was seated in the snowbank beside them.

"Hey!" Lena cried. "Not nice!"

Mouth agape, Kara dropped to her knees, not caring if her clothes got wet, and reached out to help Lena out of the snow. To her surprise, though, Lena grabbed hold of her forearm and pulled _hard,_ making Kara fall directly on top of her, their faces so close together that they could see their breath mingling in the air between them.

"I'm… I'm s-sorry," Kara stammered. "I didn't mean to—"

"Get a fucking _room!"_ one of Kara's Gryffindor classmates shouted, interrupting Kara's sincere, panicked apology.

"Or switch houses, _Lena,_ " a nearby Slytherin boy hissed. "You're more of a Gryffindor than a Slytherin if you're hanging out with that fucking Mudblood dyke. Do us all a favor and keep that shit to yourself or just fucking leave the school so we don't all have to gag over it."

Kara's mouth was hanging open again, but Lena paid her no mind and used surprising force to move Kara off of her in order to stand. As soon as Kara realized that Lena was reaching for her wand, she scrambled out of the snow and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, don't!" Kara cried. "Lena, don't! It's not worth it. They're not worth it."

Lena's hand was clenched in a tight fist, and the scowl on her face and fire in her eyes were something Kara had never seen before. This was beyond anger. This was a desire for vengeance.

"I'm gonna put this slug out of his misery," she growled, pushing Kara away and pulling her wand from her cloak pocket.

"Lena, _no!"_ the prefect tried, once again scrambling for Lena's wrist and holding onto it tighter this time, to keep her wand lowered. "Let it go."

"Try it, you filthy swine," the Slytherin boy urged her. "Just try it. Watch me get you both expelled."

"Back _off,_ " Kara growled, her own anger finally triggered by the insult to Lena. "Call me what you want, but if you say one more word about Lena…"

"You'll what, Miss Prefect?" the Slytherin laughed. "Fly around me on a broom without paying any attention to where you're going and crash into a tree before you can even _do_ anything? It's amazing you didn't die in that Quidditch match. She should've let you."

"No," Kara snapped. "I'll have the professors take twenty points from Slytherin for harassment. Good luck winning the house cup."

Looking sour, the Slytherin boy, not having much to say to that, simply grumbled, "Yeah, whatever," and finally walked away from them.

As soon as his back was turned, though, Lena raised her wand again.

"Lena!" Kara shouted, grabbing her arm to hold it down for the third time. "Put it _away._ "

"I'm gonna put it away up his disgusting ass," the angered brunette told her, her scowl not subsiding.

"Hey," Kara said gently, her expression softening as she moved around to Lena's front. "It's okay. They're just talking. It's just words. We're okay."

"But he called you—"

"Lena. I don't care what he called me. We're okay. It's okay. Besides, he's right."

" _What?"_

"I am a Mudblood," Kara said with a shrug, looking down slightly.

She almost said, _And a dyke,_ but she found herself quite grateful that that part didn't come out.

"I don't care," Lena said hurriedly, taking Kara's hands. "You know that, right? You know I don't care about that?"

Kara nodded slowly and answered, "Yeah. When you told me, I believed you. Still do. Obviously, you don't hate me if you let me wear your scarf."

Their smiles returned, and Lena couldn't stop herself from hugging Kara tightly, their cold cheeks pressed together as they embraced.

"Come on," Kara offered, only when Lena finally pulled away. "It's late. We gotta get to bed."

Lena nodded, not wanting their night to end, and fell into step beside her friend as they walked back into the castle.

"So, have you done any more searching for the, um… that thing?" Kara asked casually, remaining conscious of the fact that they were not alone in the hallways as they walked together.

Lena laughed in response and told her, "Of course not. I've been with you every waking moment, you goober."

"Oh, yeah. I guess that's true," Kara chuckled. Then, thoughtfully, she added, "And I'm glad for it."

"You don't want me to look for the mirror?"

"Oh, no. It's not that. I just like spending time with you."

Lena smiled at this.

Then, Kara felt her heart sinking as she realized that they'd finally arrived at the Slytherin common room. Freezing in her tracks, Kara bit down on her lower lip.

"What's wrong?" her friend asked, touching her arm to get her attention.

Kara shook her head and mumbled, "I should go."

"Hey, come on. Don't do that. Tell me what's up," Lena pleaded with her.

After a pause, Kara looked up, her whole world crashing as she met Lena's gaze.

"Christmas break starts tomorrow."

"You want to go home?" Lena asked curiously, not quite understanding where Kara was going with this.

But Kara shook her head and told her, "It's not that."

"Kara, what is it? What's wrong?"

Eyes welling with tears completely against her will, Kara confessed, "I don't want you to go. I'm gonna miss you."

"Oh, Kara," Lena sighed, wrapping her arms around the younger girl and holding her close. "It's okay. It's not like I'm never coming back."

Kara sniffled and returned her friends hug with a nod, saying, "I know. I'll still miss you, though."

"I'll miss you too, Kara," Lena told her. "You know I will."

This actually earned a small smile from Kara, who was relieved to hear those words.

"You'll come back though, right?"

Laughing, Lena nodded and said, "Of course. I promise."

"Good. It's gonna be hella boring without you in the castle."

"Probably. We gotta get some sleep, though," Lena announced, interrupting the sensitive moment to make sure they would both get enough rest that night. "I have to pack tomorrow, but you can see me off at the train if you want?"

With a nod, Kara said, "Please," and hugged her friend one last time before waving goodbye and leaving Lena to rest, completely forgetting that she was still wearing Lena's Slytherin scarf.


	9. Chapter 9

The next afternoon was more difficult than Kara had originally anticipated.

Seeing Lena off at the train station was something she wouldn't have missed for the world, but she also knew it was a terrible idea and that as soon as Lena got on the train, she was going to be left standing there crying like a fool.

Which is exactly what happened.

"I'll miss you," Lena promised, hugging Kara tightly in her arms as they stood on the platform together. "Be good, okay?"

Kara shook her head, ignoring Lena's request, and said, "You be safe."

This gave Lena pause, so she stood there staring into Kara's eyes as she wondered what exactly the prefect had meant and didn't say anything back.

"Lena?" Kara pressed, nudging the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah," Lena finally sighed. "I'll be safe."

"Don't sound so sad," Kara scolded her, wiping away her own stray tear as it just barely slipped past the corner of her eye. "You'll be back soon."

Lena nodded in affirmation and hugged Kara again, whispering, "You be safe too. No wandering the halls alone at night."

When Lena pulled away, she was smirking, so Kara rolled her eyes and said, "I'm a prefect. It's literally my job."

"I know," Lena confessed with a smile, reaching up and tucking a piece of hair behind Kara's ear.

Just when Kara thought she might have to turn and run, for fear of kissing Lena as the girl stared into her eyes, the last boarding call was announced.

"You gotta go," Kara choked out, making Lena's hand fall to her side as she looked at her sadly.

Lena felt everything in her tighten in protest as she reached down to grab her bag.

"Go," Kara pressed, gently pushing on her shoulders as she straightened back up.

 _Please, go,_ she was thinking. _Go before I can't not kiss you._

"But I—" Lena tried, causing Kara to shake her head and nudge her towards the door of the train.

"Be good. Be safe," Kara urged her, giving her hand one last anxious squeeze. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Kara," Lena choked out, stumbling onto the train and waving quickly before being ushered down the aisle towards her seat.

~!~!~

"Well, well. Look who's home," Lillian Luthor greeted her adoptive daughter, upon her arriving at the mansion.

The seventh year nodded in passive greeting, gently brushing past two house elves to head up towards her room.

"Oh, _Lena_ ," her mother sang, watching with hawk-eyes as her daughter began to ascend the stairs.

"Yes, mother?" Lena called back, stopping on the third step to turn back and look at the woman addressing her.

"How's studying for your exams going?"

Hand gripping the railing tightly, whitening her knuckles, Lena clenched her jaw to prevent the expletives in her mind from slipping out of her mouth.

"It's going fine," the young Luthor managed, after taking two long, slow breaths.

"You _will_ be receiving exceeds expectations on all subjects, won't you, dear?"

Lena thought she might pass out from irritation. She knew exactly where this was going.

"Of course, mother," she agreed. "I need to be headmistress, after all."

**But Lena made the mistake of rolling her eyes, and her mother jumped on the opportunity to reinforce their family values.**

" _Lena_ ," the woman snapped. "This is the plan. This has _been_ the plan. Your brother is on his way to being Minister for Magic. It's time for you to fall in line. You need to start thinking about our future."

" _Our_ future?" Lena hissed. "You mean _my_ future."

"No, Lena," Lillian shot back. "Your behavior affects your entire family, and if I haven't taught you that by now, I don't know if you'll ever learn anything."

Her mother's words stung so deeply that Lena nearly stumbled back on the stairs, but because she was steadying herself on the railing, she managed to stay upright.

"I hope I've made myself clear today, Lena," her mother added sharply, making Lena visibly flinch.

"Yes, mother," Lena ground out, not wanting to upset her mother further and receive her wrath.

"Now, go upstairs and study. Oh, and change into something presentable. Wear one of your evening gowns. We're expecting guests tonight."

"Who?" Lena asked curiously, brow furrowed.

"You're dismissed," the woman said coldly, refusing to address Lena's question. "Oh, and Lena… Wear the red one."

Wanting to press the issue but feeling unwilling to do so, Lena turned and ascended the staircase to her bedroom.

~!~!~

That night, despite every nerve in her body wanting to tear the dress to pieces, Lena wore her best evening gown, thinking that she needed to look presentable for one of her mother's business associates. Quietly, she sat down at the table and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for the house elves to serve the meal. But to her surprise, they didn't come. Lena and her mother sat in silence for three or four minutes, Lena not daring to speak or upset her mother, until a house elf finally presented in the dining room.

"Mistress Luthor," the house elf addressed the older woman. "Your guests have arrived. Shall I show them in?"

Lillian nodded her head to give the order, and Lena felt herself growing more irritated by the moment. Why did she have to dress up for her mother's pompous business associates anyway? What did it matter?

Then, the sound of two sets of heavy footsteps entering the dining room caught Lena's attention, and she finally looked up from her empty plate to see who had joined them.

To her horror, the first person she saw standing there was not an old business associate of her mother's, but rather a seventh-year boy she knew vaguely of from Hogwarts, along with a man she assumed to be his father, who must've been the business associate of her mother.

"W-What—" Lena started to ask, but was quickly silenced by her mother raising her hand to stop her words.

"Lena," she announced. "This is Jack Spheer. This young man, blood as clean as a flawless diamond, has agreed to take your hand in marriage."

Lena felt as though she might faint, blood rising to her face and making her intensely dizzy. She couldn't think. Couldn't _breathe._ This boy she hardly knew was supposed to be her future husband? Lena knew her mother wascontrolling, but this… this was a lot, even for her. An arranged marriage? It was impossible for Lena to believe.

Stunned into silence, Lena stared at the young man, her mouth hanging open slightly in disbelief.

"Hello, Miss Luthor," Jack addressed her. "It's a pleasure to formally meet you."

Although they were in the same year and same house, they'd never really spoken to each other, since Lena was one to keep her head down. Feeling the stark sinking feeling in her stomach, Lena thought, _This is it. My life is over._

She was unable to speak, even after his polite introduction, so Lillian cut in, demanding, "Lena. Say hello."

Briefly, Lena's gaze dropped to the wine glass on the table. The thought to throw it at her mother overwhelmed her only for a moment before she smothered it like a flame and swallowed her protest.

Feeling a knot forming in her stomach and a lump in her throat, Lena managed to say, "Please, excuse me," before leaving the room.

Stepping outside was the best idea she could have possibly had, as the cold, biting breeze stuck her cheeks like a blow from someone's fist and sobered her somewhat, or at least enough not to have the meltdown that was threatening to strike. Still, the tears flowed as soon as she was sure she was alone, falling down onto her sequined dress as she lowered her head and covered her face with her hands.

As much as she hated it – the thought of marrying a man she didn't love or even know – Lena was too terrified of losing her only family to fight her mother's decision. There was no hope of escape from this arranged marriage if she wanted to remain a Luthor, and she knew better than to tell her mother 'no.'

That being the case, she let the tears keep flowing freely, hoping no one would face the cold to bring her back inside. Still, she knew she'd face her mother's wrath for stepping out, and she knew she had to get her shit together quickly to return to the dining room before she made things worse. But she couldn't stop crying. Couldn't hold it in. Lena knew this was symbolic of her childhood ending, and that was what scared her most.

Then, to her dismay, Lena heard the sound of the heavy oak door opening and heavy footsteps leading outside and knew it was her arranged fiancé. Rapidly wiping her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears, she looked away to cover up the fact that she was crying while she tried to recover.

"Pardon me," Jack said softly, taking a careful step closer to Lena. "But it's quite cold out here, and I couldn't help but notice you left without a jacket."

Lena, dumbfounded, forced herself to be polite enough to look up at him, her eyes still regrettably shimmering from her tears. He was holding out his jacket. Unsure of what to do, and too stunned by his chivalry to speak, she simply stared at him until he spoke again.

"Please, take my jacket," he offered.

His eyes were soft, gentle, and warm, encouraging her to trust him, so Lena reached out a hesitant hand to take the jacket and put it on slowly. She couldn't deny that it was freezing outside, and it would have been ridiculous of her to ignore his offer.

"T-Thank you," she stammered, teeth chattering.

Then, her mind flashed back to Kara and her sweater. The sweetest gesture anyone had ever done for her. Now, here was Jack, offering the same thing. It made Lena's head spin.

"Would you like to go back inside, or stay out here?" Jack asked gently.

She was surprised that he was asking the question, rather than demanding that she return to the dining room, as her mother likely would have.

"I'd like to stay out here," Lena said, voice small and shy.

"Alright. May I stay with you? You don't have to talk if you don't want to. I know this is a lot to process. I just don't want you to be out here alone."

Raising an eyebrow, Lena looked him over, confused by his display chivalry. After a moment, she nodded her agreement to his offer and leaned back against the house.

"I'm sorry this came so suddenly," Jack told her. "My father and your mother know each other from… I don't know. I forget where. But apparently, they'd been planning this since the beginning of the school year. I just found out too."

Continuing to be surprised, Lena agreed, "It was sudden. I'm just… a little surprised, I guess."

Jack nodded and offered her a warm smile, vowing, "I'll take care of you, Lena. I promise."

 _I don't want anyone to take care of me,_ Lena was thinking. _I can take care of myself._

But his offer was unexpectedly reassuring. At least he was nice.

Lena shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling Jack's heavy jacket on her shoulders, her thoughts suddenly flooding back to wearing Kara's sweater and feeling her warm arms holding her in a tight embrace. Cheeks turning pink from the discomfort of the thought, Lena dropped her gaze and felt one last tear drip down her cheek.

When she didn't reply, Jack added, "You don't have to be scared of me."

But she was. She didn't even _know_ him. How could she marry him?

After another silence-filled pause, the boy offered, "I think I should go back inside now, to converse with your mother. I don't want to be perceived as rude to either of you. And you deserve your space. I'll see you at school, okay?"

Lena nodded weakly and didn't meet his gaze. Feeling lonelier than she ever had, Lena watched him leave out of the corner of her eye, feeling grateful that he hadn't been pushy or abrasive.

After another five or so minutes, Lena finally forced herself to walk back inside, her face red from the cold. Before sitting at the table to eat, she held out the coat to her future husband and waited for him to take it, but he shook his head firmly.

"You keep it," he said, offering a smile.

"See, Lena?" Lillian said. "He's quite a charmer."

Blushing, Lena remained silent, draped the jacket over the back of her chair, and finally sat down to eat her dinner.

After their guests had left, Lena said nothing to her mother as she rose from the table and moved to ascend the stairs to her room, but her mother stopped her in her tracks.

"Oh, Lena," Lillian sang, earning her daughter's complete attention.

The way her mother said her name sent shivers down Lena's spine, and she knew in that moment that her brief exit would be sorely punished, if only with threats. She stopped and faced her mother, who turned away from her and walked over to a cabinet on the other side of the room, opening the glass door to remove a framed piece of paperwork.

When Lillian held up the framed paper, once again facing her daughter, Lena felt her stomach drop.

"Don't think," her mother began firmly, "that if you put so much as one _toe_ out of line—" Lillian paused to remove her wand from her pocket before igniting a flame at its tip "—that I won't burn your adoption papers and rip that Luthor name from you like skinning a live animal." Mouth agape, Lena stared at her mother in disbelief of just how severe the threat was as Lillian moved the flame towards the edge of the frame.

"Don't!" Lena cried in unbridled desperation, when the flame got close enough to scar the wood of the frame. "Please."

"You will marry him, Lena. And you will be headmistress of Hogwarts. Or," Lillian told her, "you will be nothing. Is that clear?"

Lena, swallowing a terrified sob, nodded her head vigorously, hating the vulnerability she had just displayed but having instinctually been unable to stifle it.

"Good," her mother announced, voice returning to a joyful, chipper tone. "Then you are dismissed."

Lena waited until she was in her room with the door shut to cry herself to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The train ride back to Hogwarts was miserable. Luckily for Lena, though, she hid herself in the back of the train in a window seat and didn't see her fiancé on the way there. She was able to sit somewhat in peace, at least for a little while, as the train sped towards the castle.

The Slytherin's thoughts drifted anxiously back and forth between her future husband and her best friend, who she was dying to see, making her restless. She hadn't been able to express her feelings about the arranged marriage to anyone over the Christmas break, and she knew Kara would be able to empathize with her and would give her the support she needed not to have a mental break down.

It left as though it took an eternity for the train to arrive at the station, and Lena's heart leapt when she finally caught sight of the castle in the distance.

 _Thank God,_ she was thinking. _Almost there._

By the time her journey was over and she was walking into the castle, she was emotionally exhausted and ready for bed, so naturally, when she saw Kara standing at the entrance to the Great Hall, waiting for her, her heart jumped again, but her enthusiasm was deeply buried. Kara furrowed her brow as Lena offered an exceptionally weak smile and wave as she stood beside her friend.

"Lena, what's wrong?" Kara asked anxiously, touching the brunette's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Lena shook her head slowly, not having the energy to say much. Besides, the knot forming in her throat was making it hard to say anything at all.

She managed to tell Kara, "Later," but couldn't bring herself to tell her more.

Kara's look of concern continued all throughout dinner, but Lena avoided her gaze, trying to ignore it.

Eventually, when Kara noticed that Lena wasn't eating, she scooted closer to her friend on the bench where they were sitting side-by-side and whispered in her ear, "Do you want to leave? We can sneak some food out and go sit somewhere else."

Shaking her head, Lena mumbled, "Not hungry," and continued to stare at her full plate of food.

"Lena," Kara urged her with concern in her voice. "You've gotta eat something. I'm worried about you."

"Not hungry."

"Lena," the blonde repeated, putting her hand on Lena's thigh. "Please?"

But the Slytherin girl shook her head slowly and mumbled, "I feel sick."

"Shit. Do we need to get you to the hospital wing?" Kara asked quickly, putting her hand on Lena's shoulder and leaning in slightly. "Are you gonna throw up? Let's take a walk."

Feeling nauseous, but knowing that it was simply from being drained and emotionally overwhelmed, Lena stood up and left the table, leaving Kara a few steps behind her as she walked out of the Great Hall.

"Lena, wait up," Kara called out, running to catch up to her. When she reached her friend, she was leaning against the wall just outside the Great Hall, looking paler than usual, so Kara's brow furrowed as she said, "Lena. Tell me what happened."

Taking in a deep, slow breath, Lena just barely managed to offer the words, "I'm engaged."

Physically knocked backwards by the shock of this statement, and the confusion that came with it, Kara stared at her friend and said, "Sorry… What?"

"I'm engaged," Lena repeated.

"I heard you, Lena. I just… don't… quite… understand. I didn't think you were seeing anybody…"

The younger girl felt her insides turn and twist into multiple, heavy knots. Had Lena been seeing someone and just hadn't told her? Had she met someone over break? No, that would've been too fast. She must've had someone in her life before that. But why wouldn't she have just said so? And when in the world would she have had time for that?

Kara felt herself getting choked up and scolded herself for her selfishness. If Lena was engaged, Kara should be happy for her. Right?

"I wasn't," Lena told her, straightening up slightly but still bracing herself on the wall. "My mother arranged my marriage to the son of one of her associates."

The blonde's mouth fell open as she gasped, "She _what?_ "

Turning away, Lena faced the wall and rested her forehead against the stone as she covered her eyes and started to cry, not caring that several students were walking by and noticing her display of emotion.

"Come on," Kara said quickly, wrapping an arm around Lena's waist and gently pulling her closer, away from the wall. "Let's go somewhere private where you can sit down."

Lena nodded, rubbing her eyes as she followed Kara down the hallway with tear-blurred vision. When they reached the nearest empty classroom, Kara let them in and ushered Lena inside, carefully helping her into a chair before pulling up her own to sit beside her.

"I'm really, really sorry, Lena," Kara whispered, reaching out instinctively to thread her fingers through Lena's soft, dark locks of hair.

Despite feeling an incomprehensible wave of relief from Kara's gentle, soothing touch, Lena began to cry harder, whimpering, "I don't know what to do. I know I have to marry him. I have no choice. I'm just… so… _scared_."

Kara nodded her understanding and pulled Lena into an embrace, cradling her against her chest and stroking her hair back as she cried.

After giving Lena the space to cry for a while as they embraced, Kara whispered, "It's gonna be okay."

Lena shook her head and sobbed, "I don't want to get married."

Still not thinking much of the way she was touching Lena, or what it was doing to both of them, Kara began to rub Lena's back in small, slow circles to soothe her. Thankfully, it worked. Lena began to calm, and once she did, Kara took her opportunity to ask questions.

"So, when is this wedding supposed to happen?"

"As soon as we graduate. So… six months. He's a seventh year."

Biting her lip, Kara gave a nod of understanding and offered, "I wish… I mean… Can't you just… tell her no?"

Lena laughed bitterly at this, shaking her head as she wiped her tears.

"That's hilarious, Kara," she bit back. "You don't know my mother. If I want to remain a Luthor, I marry him. That's all there is to it."

"She said that?"

"She scorched my fucking adoption papers."

"She did _what?_ "

"She held a flame to the framed adoption papers and told me that if I don't marry him, I'm nothing to her."

"But Lena… This is… This is a bit much, don't you think? I mean, isn't she going a bit far? You've gotta draw the line somewhere."

Again, Lena laughed, saying, "You have Alex and your mom, Kara. Would you ever walk away from them?"

Kara hesitated, biting her lip.

"I didn't think so," Lena quipped angrily, turning away.

"Hey," the blonde said quickly, grabbing Lena's hand. "I'm sorry. I… I understand."

But inside, Kara was screaming.

This might've been Lena's only family they were talking about, but Kara was still relatively positive that had their rolls been reversed, she would have walked away from them rather than enter into a loveless marriage fueled by a desire for power.

But she did understand where Lena was coming from, so she put her hand on Lena's thigh and waited for the girl to say more.

When what felt like a long while had passed, Kara finally asked, "So, who is he?"

"Jack Spheer. I hardly know him and I'm in the same house and year, which is pretty sad. But... he seems—"

Kara's mouth had fallen open.

" _Him?_ " she gaped.

"What?"

"He's…"

"He's what?"

"He's…"

"A Slytherin. Yeah. That's the point. My mother wants to keep the bloodline strong."

Then, realizing that Lena had no choice but to marry this boy, Kara decided to keep her thoughts about him to herself, saying simply, "Oh."

He was well-known for being a pompous, muggle-hating prick, but if Lena didn't know that already, Kara wasn't about to tell her. It didn't matter anyway. It just likely meant—

Kara felt her heart sink further with the realization that this boy was definitely the type to interfere with their friendship, if he knew about her being only a half-blood. And if Lena had to marry him, that meant…

But she wasn't going to say anything to Lena about it. She didn't need to make things worse. Besides, Lena was pretty much stuck with him now, so Kara telling her all the reasons that this match was terrible wasn't going to help her in the slightest. Instead, Kara just hugged her friend tightly, savoring the moment that she knew would be few and far between from here on out.

As sudden thoughts of Lena's lips on someone else's snuck into her mind, Kara felt her muscles tighten and go stiff, which Lena noticed almost immediately.

"Kara?" she asked, straightening out of the embrace.

"We should get you back to the Great Hall to get something to eat," Kara said quickly, choking down the intense sense of loss she was feeling in that moment.

"Hey, what just happened?" Lena pressed, putting her hand on Kara's forearm to stop her.

But Kara ignored this and stood up anyway, taking Lena's hand and pulling her to her feet as she said, "C'mon. Time to eat."

"I'm not hun—" Lena tried, but Kara shook her head firmly.

"You're going to eat or I'm giving you detention for insubordination."

"You're not my _boss,_ " Lena laughed.

Realizing they were still holding hands – and not wanting to let go – Lena looked down briefly at where their fingers were laced. Kara was looking too, but having very different thoughts.,

 _This is going to end us,_ the Gryffindor was sure. _She's going to have to reject me soon. We don't have much time now._

Just when Kara had found her person, the one individual who could always lighten her heart and brighten her day, it was all about to be ripped away. Kara could feel the rage building inside her, right beside the well of sadness that had formed within. But she knew there was nothing she could do to stop this train, so she resigned herself to hold on as long as possible and vowed to savor each and every moment she had left with Lena, feeling sure that they would not be theirs to share much longer.

Finally, realizing how awkward is was to simply be standing there holding hands for no reason, Kara let go and walked Lena back to the dining hall, where she forced Lena to have a small meal before walking her back to her common room and reluctantly saying goodnight.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Lena found herself grateful to be alone in the Slytherin common room, sitting in a chair by the fire. She wanted the time to think. On the other hand, she wanted a distraction and wondered if finding Kara might be a good idea, just to put a smile on her face. But she didn't have the energy to stand yet.

Then, a voice from behind startled her by saying, "Good morning, Lena."

Reflexively turning around as fast as possible and jumping slightly in her seat from surprise, Lena looked for the sound and found Jack standing adjacent to the chair.

"G-Good morning," she forced herself to say, wanting nothing more than to shrink and disappear into the chair so that she wouldn't have to speak again or have him look at her. Then, she realized, and said out loud, "God, I'm a mess. Don't look. I'm not awake yet."

But Jack just smiled and said, "You look beautiful, Lena."

Lena blushed at this, covering her face and shaking her head.

"We should probably talk about the plan, at some point," Jack offered, ignoring the blush in favor of not embarrassing her further. "But only when you're ready."

Lena dropped her hands and nodded once to convey her understanding. Silently, she hoped he knew how much she appreciated his lack of force in the matter.

"Would you care to sit with me at breakfast?" he asked, smiling at her.

Lena hesitated. She'd wanted to sit with Kara. Then again, if she was going to marry this boy, she should probably get to know him better while she had the chance.

So, she nodded her agreement and told him, "I'll be right back down. I just want to go clean up a little before I start the day. I look ridiculous."

"You look _beautiful,_ " Jack repeated, still wearing a charming smile.

Lena ignored this and went upstairs to get ready.

~!~!~

When Kara saw the two sitting together in the dining room, she felt her stomach turn to stone. She watched for a while – not stalking, just… checking in – and noticed that the more time passed, the more comfortable Lena's body language became. Kara even saw her smile.

Kara sighed to herself, turning her attention back to her plate and knowing she couldn't stand to see more.

 _Maybe she'll be happy with him after all,_ Kara thought.

Part of her was sad, of course, watching as her closest friend was being slowly torn from her arms. Not to mention the part where Lena's lips were soon to be on someone else's. But Kara told herself that she never had a chance anyway. After all, Lena would never think of her like that. It was hard enough to just build their friendship. Forget anything else.

The other part of Kara, though, felt somewhat happy for Lena, seeing her smile return. It wasn't as bright as Kara usually noticed it being, but it was there. Maybe Lena would be okay. The last thing Kara wanted was for her friend to be miserable. She needed Lena to be happy, even if it wasn't with her.

But it hurt still, so Kara found her eyes glued to her plate. Now, it was her turn to ignore her food, appetite forgotten. After a while, she forced herself to stand and head off to her first class: Care of Magical Creatures, wanting to do anything she could to take her mind off the Slytherin couple.

~!~!~

Lena found herself highly confused by her own emotions that morning. Jack was sweet. He was charismatic. He even managed to make her smile when she felt miserable.

But it felt strange not sitting with Kara for breakfast anymore, not seeing her smiling face. She knew she missed the girl terribly, but when she turned around after breakfast to look for Kara and say hello, the Gryffindor was gone.

Jack walked Lena to class, with her permission, and the two had a long talk about how much they hated Herbology, until they arrived at Lena's History of Magic class.

"I'll see you in potions later?" Jack offered, flashing her his most charming smile.

She nodded and returned the smile, though hers was more subdued.

All through class, she thought about her future and her seemingly pre-ordained destiny, nearly missing the entire lecture due to being stuck in her head for most of the class.

~!~!~

That night, Lena knew she had to settle things. She couldn't sleep, and when she glanced over at her clock, she saw that it was 2:34 AM. She'd been lying awake for three and a half hours.

"I have to know," she told herself, whispering under her breath as she swung her legs quietly out of the bed and sliding into her cloak. "I have to find it. I have to find it tonight."

Her desperation fueled her adrenaline and energy levels, which had been virtually non-existent since she'd returned to Hogwarts from Christmas break. Still, she knew she was very nearly lost in the castle after about an hour of walking.

 _I have to find it. I have to find it,_ she thought, looking around with sharp, determined eyes.

She knew the Mirror of Erised had to be at Hogwarts. It had to be. It was the safest place in the wizarding world, and Dumbledore was too clever to risk moving it from the castle. But he was also too clever to make it obvious where the mirror was hidden. Still, she was determined to find it. She _had_ to know.

Another hour passed without luck, until she nearly jumped out of her skin at the crashing sound of trophies falling.

 _Shit,_ she was thinking, assuming that it was the typical rowdy Gryffindor group that had nearly put her in a Full Body-Bind curse the night Kara had intervened.

 _Kara,_ Lena thought, feeling a wave of overwhelming sadness wash her clean of conviction.

They hadn't spoken that day, and it was odd now for Lena to go through her day without seeing Kara at all. They didn't even run into each other at lunch or dinner.

 _Maybe I should just go back,_ Lena told herself, flattening against the wall in an attempt to hide herself from whatever had made the crashing noise. _What if it's a professor?_ she wondered. _I'm so fucked._

But it wasn't the three rowdy Gryffindors or a professor. It was Peeves, the ghost, and Lena, by some miracle, managed to not be seen as he sped by, cackling loudly at the mess he'd just made.

Once he was gone, Lena stepped closer to where the sound had come from, to examine what had happened, and found herself standing in a hallway she didn't recognize, looking at an open door she couldn't remember ever seeing before. Carefully, she stepped closer. Trophies – old, unpolished trophies – were scattered all over the floor, pouring out of the room. Something inside sparkled and caught Lena's eye, so she approached carefully, stepping over several large, metal trophies she didn't bother to read.

When she found the source of the sparkle, she nearly dropped her wand.

The mirror before her had refracted the light from the moon out into the hallway, and now that Lena was closer, she could see that that same light was being refracted on all kinds of metal items in the room – not just trophies. It almost hurt her eyes when it reflected off her glasses. But she couldn't have cared less about the other objects. Her eyes were locked on the mirror.

As she stepped closer still, the picture became clear, and when Lena saw it, she felt her chest tighten.

In the image reflected back at her – supposedly her deepest desire – showed Lena in the arms of a young, blonde girl, wearing a Gryffindor Quidditch uniform, their lips connected in a heated kiss. Lena, in her Slytherin robes, was being pulled tighter against the girl's body, and as this happened, her hands reached up to thread through the beautiful blonde locks of hair, deepening the kiss.

_Kara._

Lena felt as though she might faint and found herself needing to lean on a nearby desk to maintain her balance.

"This can't be happening," she whispered. "This can't be it."

So she turned back and looked again. This time, in the mirror, she saw herself holding hands with Kara, standing shoulder to shoulder, wearing broad smiles before Kara leaned in and kissed her lips again.

"This can't be happening," Lena repeated. "Oh, fuck."

Needing to escape what she'd seen, Lena scrambled over the metal objects on the floor and stumbled out into the hallway, running the entire way back to her common room and only getting slightly lost twice on the way.

By the time she collapsed on her bed, heart racing from the shot of adrenaline she'd received from finally finding the Mirror of Erised, and what it had shown her, it was almost six in the morning. Her alarm went over shortly after, before she'd even had a chance to fall asleep.

She wanted nothing to do with breakfast, or even the smell of food, so Lena seriously considered sleeping another hour, but decided that she was in too much of a state of disbelief and confusion to actually rest, so she got back out of the bed and dressed herself for the day, body still trembling from shock.


	12. Chapter 12

When Lena finally made it down the stairs and slipped out of the common room, she ran directly into a small crowd of Slytherins gathered just outside the portrait.

"You're not even supposed to know _where_ our common room is, you filthy Mudblood," a young man's voice called out, dark and cold.

"I'm a _prefect,_ " a girl shot back. "I know where _all_ the common rooms are, and I'm entitled to be here. So, why don't you back off before I have the professors take ten points from Slytherin for harassment. You've already lost ten for the same before Christmas break."

"I'd rather watch a Mudblood like you get demolished than win the house cup. All of us would. It would be worth it to watch your kind die off like the dinosaurs."

Lena pushed past a few students upon hearing this and was shocked to see both Kara and Jack in the middle of the crowd.

"Jack?" she asked, voice small and betraying her disappointment.

She knew he was a pureblood, but he had truly seemed kind. This was a very different side of him, and it disgusted her. Not to mention, anyone picking on Kara was on her shit list.

"Stay back, Lena," Jack ordered, sounding as strong as he likely felt. "I'm gonna teach this Mudblood a lesson."

Jack drew his wand, but Kara simply gritted her teeth and stared at him, growling, "I'm not going to fight you."

She knew Lena had to marry this boy, and she also knew that Lena was watching. It wasn't Kara's style to hurt people. It was her instinct to deescalate and protect. Besides, she didn't really care about being a Mudblood. Of course, it upset her to be disrespected as a prefect, but that was minutia. All she cared about was that this boy was a complete and total ass (which she'd known before anyway) and that Lena was stuck with him. If she wanted any chance of remaining Lena's friend, she had to play it cool.

"Very well," Jack announced with a smirk, pointing his wand in her direction.

But just as he opened his mouth to speak, Lena dove for him, shoving his arm down to his side and saying, "Jack, no."

Kara took a step back, not wanting to escalate things by addressing Lena, but the brunette immediately got between the two of them, facing her fiancé.

"Jack. Go cool off. Let her go."

" _You_ ," Jack hissed, scowling at Lena, "will not tell me what to do."

"Jack, please. Please. I'm _asking_ you. Please, just let it go. She was here to see me."

"What?" he gaped.

"She was here to see me," Lena repeated. "Please, just leave it alone."

Weighing his options and electing to maintain his composure in front of those around him, Jack gritted his teeth and said, "Alright. But if she comes marching around here again, I'll show her her place without hesitation." Then, he gently pushed Lena aside, addressing Kara, and asked, "Is that clear?"

Kara wanted to punch him. Really wanted to knock his lights out for speaking to her friend like that. But she knew she couldn't, so she remained quiet and simply turned away, refusing to engage further or bite the bait Jack was throwing at her.

When she saw Kara start to walk away without speaking to her, Lena ran to catch up, gently grabbing Kara's arm to slow her down

"Let me walk you back to the Great Hall," Lena offered. Then, looking intensely apologetic, she said, "I'm sorry, Kara."

"Why are you apologizing for him?" Kara asked, trying to keep her voice gentle but the bite in her tone seeping through.

"Because he never should have spoken to you that way."

"He never should have spoken to _you_ that way, Lena."

The brunette sighed, shaking her head as she fell in step with Kara, who was headed in the opposite direction from the Great Hall.

"Hey," Lena said, tugging her arm once more. "Where are you going? Don't you want breakfast?"

"Not hungry," Kara said softly, slowing her pace.

"Kara, come on. If I had to eat when I got back, so do you."

Kara shook her head and said, "No, I don't."

Right on cue, Kara's stomach growled.

"Come on," Lena insisted. "I know you're starving."

Finally looking Lena over and taking her in, Kara noticed just how exhausted the girl looked and ignored her question, asking, "Are you okay? You look exhausted."

"Gee, thanks," Lena laughed, rolling her eyes. "Just what a girl wants to hear."

Sighing, Kara revised her statement, saying, "I'm just concerned. Did you not sleep last night?"

Lena shrugged, so Kara looked around the hallway, grabbed her hand, and very suddenly jerked her into an empty classroom, shutting the door and locking it with magic behind her.

"Lena," Kara said, tone more serious than before. "Tell me what's going on with you. Why didn't you sleep?"

"Kara…"

"Lena. Tell me."

Swallowing hard and averting her gaze, terrified to see Kara's reaction to her inevitable confession, Lena sat down on one of the desks and held her head in her hands.

"Lena?" Kara pressed.

But Lena could only shake her head, whimpering, "Don't ask me. Please, don't ask me."

Looking exponentially more concerned than before, Kara stepped closer and took both of Lena's hands in her own, softly saying, "You can tell me anything, Lena."

Thinking this through, and knowing Kara wasn't lying, Lena decided on telling the truth, as twisted in knots as her stomach may have been. But she couldn't look Kara in the eyes when she said it. There was no way she could face her expression.

"I found the mirror."

Kara took a single step back from surprise and looked at Lena with wide eyes, asking, "Really?"

She couldn't deny that she was shocked. She had, in all honesty, never expected Lena to find it. If Dumbledore didn't want people to find something, they never would. But here was this genius Luthor, destroying all odds.

"I'm… I'm happy for you," Kara managed to tell her, biting her lip.

"Don't be. It was… not what I was expecting."

"Wasn't an occupation, was it?" the blonde asked gently.

Lena pulled her hands away, refusing to look up, and mumbled, "No, it wasn't."

There was a long pause of silence before Kara carefully asked, "What did you see?"

Lena shook her head and whimpered, "Don't ask me, Kara. _Please_ , don't ask me. I can't… I just can't."

"Why not? Do you not trust me? I'm not going to judge you. I promise you, Lena. Anything you say to me is—"

"No!" Lena cried. "It's not that I don't trust you! I do trust you. Kara, I trust you. I just… It's embarrassing."

Kara tilted her head, looking confused as she repeated, "I won't judge. Just tell me."

"I can't."

"How bad could it be?" Kara asked with a warm smile.

But Lena wouldn't look up, so she didn't notice Kara's encouraging smile or gentle eyes.

"It's bad," Lena told her, voice cracking.

"Tell me, Lena. I'm here. It's okay. I'm never going to reject you or abandon you."

"Yes, you will."

"No, I _won't._ I promise you, Lena. I swear it. Just tell me, sweetheart. I'm here. Don't bear this burden alone. I mean, even if you're into like… freaky ass kinky sex, I'm not gonna judge."

Kara laughed, earning a soft, reluctant chuckle from Lena.

"It's not that," Lena assured her.

"Then what is it?"

"I saw… I…"

"It's okay," Kara vowed, putting her hand on Lena's thigh as she took a step closer. "Tell me."

"I saw us kissing."

Kara thought she was going to pass out, right then and there, as the room started to spin rapidly, like a carnival ride she couldn't get off.

"But…" Lena started. Then, the rest came pouring out, Lena's anxiety becoming highly evident with her pressured speech, "I… I know we can't. I know it's stupid. I don't even know why that's what I saw. Maybe the mirror is broken? Besides, I have to marry Jack, and… and it's stupid… and I know you don't like me that way, so… You know. It's not a thing, and I know that. It's probably just broken. Maybe it thinks… I don't know. Anyway, I told you it was embarrassing."

Kara tried to keep her lips from parting. Tried to keep her mouth closed, but open it fell. As soon as she felt her jaw drop, she closed her mouth, but Lena had already seen.

"I know," the Slytherin moaned. "So stupid. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. You probably think I'm gross now. I don't even—"

"No, it's okay," Kara told her hurriedly. "It's okay. I don't think differently of you, Lena."

Looking at Kara quizzically with tears in her eyes, Lena asked, "Really? Why not?"

"Because you're still my best friend. You'll always be my best friend."

 _Best friend,_ Lena thought. _I'm her best friend?_

She was both flattered and surprised but didn't share this.

Instead, she told Kara, in a hushed voice, "You're my best friend too."

Kara had to smile at this, even though it hurt. It felt good at the same time. At least Lena still cared about her. She just knew she had to savor it while it was still a thing. She wanted to let it all out, to tell Lena everything, but she also knew that Lena would always choose her family, so there was no point making it harder on her by confessing her feelings.

"I'm sorry," Kara said suddenly, realizing that their friendship was likely going to end after graduation when Lena married Jack.

"Huh? Why?" Lena questioned, clearly confused by the apology.

"Because I know you're going to have to say goodbye to me soon."

"What? Kara, no. I'm not—"

"He won't let you stay my friend, and you know it. If you marry him, you and I have to lose contact. I don't even see him tolerating you being my friend while we're still at Hogwarts. You'll be graduating and married in six months," Kara reminded her. "But, Lena… I want you to know… I'm going to treasure every second I have left with you. I'm going to be here, until I can't be anymore."

"Kara, I'm not going to just walk away because Jack doesn't like you."

"Doesn't _like?_ " Kara laughed. "He told me he wished I was _dead._ "

Lena bit her lip. Kara was right. She was completely right. Jack wouldn't tolerate their friendship, and if she wanted to keep her relationship with her mother and her Luthor name, she'd have to make Jack happy too.

"I don't… I don't want that to happen," Lena whimpered, reaching out for her friend.

Kara stepped closer, standing between Lena's legs as she sat on the desk, hugging her tightly.

"Me either, hun," the younger girl promised. "But if… if anything happens, Lena… if anything goes wrong… I'll be right here, okay? I know you have to do this. I understand you don't want to lose your family, and that they mean more to you than anything in the world, but—"

That was when Lena tuned out and fell into her own thoughts. She hadn't seen her family in the mirror. She'd seen Kara. Now, here she was, choosing her mother and brother. Choosing Jack. It made her stomach turn with self-loathing and regret, but she voiced none of this. Instead, she held Kara close and cried into her chest, not letting go.

"It's okay, Lee," Kara whispered, stroking the girl's hair back.

The new nickname, which had honestly just slipped out without thought, made Lena melt deeper into her friend's arms.

"I don't want you to leave me," Lena sniffled, her tears dripping onto Kara's cloak.

" _You're_ going to have to leave _me,_ if you want to be with Jack."

"I know you're right. I know. I just… I hate it. I don't… I…"

"Shh," Kara hushed her, lightly scraping Lena's scalp with her fingernails as she continued to thread her fingers through her hair. "It's gonna be okay."

"Are you going to forget about me?" Lena whimpered. "Please, don't forget about me."

"Lena," Kara sighed, finally pulling away. "I could _never_. Now, let's just enjoy the time we have, okay?"

Lena hesitated, leaving her head resting on Kara's chest and her arms wrapped around her.

"Lena. Let's just make the most of what we have. You're a light in my life. I don't want to lose you either. But I know I'm damn well gonna take every single moment with you and treasure it while I can."

Feeling her lurch forward, Lena sensed nausea setting in. Kara was too sweet. Too kind. Too _good._ It hurt, and it made everything harder.

But if she wanted to be a Luthor… If she wanted to keep her only family… She had to do this. Had to marry Jack. Had to be a good little girl, giving in to her mother's every whim. Had to eventually say goodbye to Kara.

And Kara was feeling it deeply, despite her calm, rational external presentation. She had to keep it together for Lena, who was already incredibly upset by the situation. It wouldn't have helped for Kara to cry too, even though she knew that as soon as they separated, she would break down.

When they finally broke apart and Kara helped Lena down from the desk, Lena sighed, "You probably shouldn't walk me to class."

"Yeah… You're probably right," Kara reluctantly agreed. "Be safe today, Lena, okay? I lo—" Kara almost choked on the word that threatened to slip out before she quickly recovered, "I love hanging out with you, so stay out of trouble."

Lena's lips curled upwards slightly, and Kara capitalized on the opportunity to dive back in, reaching under Lena's armpits and tickling her to the best of her ability, despite being mostly blocked by her uniform. The Slytherin squealed loudly, jumping back and nearly fell, but Kara caught her by the waist and pulled her upright.

"Got ya," Kara said, blushing as she felt the warmth of Lena's body pressed firmly against her. Slowly, she let go and mumbled, "Sorry. Shouldn't have tickled. Couldn't help myself. Your laugh is the best, and I just wanted to see you smile again."

"Well, you did a good job at that," Lena told her, rolling her eyes and playfully shoving Kara's shoulder. "We should get going."

Kara nodded and swallowed the tears that threatened to fall, at least until they went opposite ways in the hallway. When she heard Lena's footsteps behind her, she couldn't help but turn and watch her walk away as she tears started to pour.


	13. Chapter 13

That night, back in the common room, Lena found herself face-to-face with Jack, who rounded on her quickly, upon seeing her sitting in a chair completing homework. Not waiting for Lena to notice him, Jack pushed the book down roughly into her lap.

"Why would you walk away with that filthy Mudblood?" he hissed. "What is wrong with you?"

"S-She's my friend!" Lena stammered bravely, shocked by his sudden approach and aggressive demeanor.

"She's _filth,_ " Jack growled. "Dirty. Fucking. Blood."

"Jack—" Lena tried, desperately wanting to change his mind and protect her friendship with Kara.

"Shut _up,_ " he barked, cocking his arm back before bringing the back of his hand against Lena's face in a swift, heavy blow that felt almost like a punch.

Lena choked back a sob, feeling the burn of his blow and feeling incredibly grateful that it was late enough for them to be the only ones in the common room at the time.

"Get out of my sight," Jack said, the demand clear.

Instead of going up to the dorm room, though, Lena bolted for the common room door.

"Lena!" he shouted after her, advancing in her direction.

But she was too fast and was halfway down the hallway outside before he made his way out of the portrait.

On instinct, and without thoughtful intention, Lena found herself at the Gryffindor common room portrait. It was late, but she prayed that when she knocked, there would be someone – _anyone_ – in the common room.

"What do you want, Slythershit?" a young Gryffindor said, rolling his eyes as the portrait swung open. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I need to see Kara," Lena told him simply. "P-Please."

Hearing the sound of tears breaking her voice, the boy reluctantly nodded his head and ran back inside. Moments later, Kara was running for the door and presenting herself in front of her friend.

"Lena!" Kara cried. "What are you doing here? It's past curfew, and—"

"Kara… Do you remember when you leant me your sweater? And said I could keep it?" Lena choked out.

Kara nodded.

"Can… Can I have it back?"

Brow furrowing as she quickly realized that something was very, very wrong, Kara moved closer and took Lena's hands, asking, "Lena, what's the matter? And what's… Lena… What the hell happened to your face?"

"P-Please, can I have your sweater?" Lena repeated, her voice continuing to break throughout the request as she stood shaking in front of her best friend. "It'll make me feel better when I'm alone."

Kara's heart constricted at the unfairness of the request. How could she ask that of her, when they were only friends? How could she say it that way, like Kara's sweater was supposed to comfort her? Wasn't that something lovers did for each other? The Gryffindor hated how unfair it was. How unkind the universe had been to her in bringing Jack into their lives. How terribly painful it was to imagine what Lena had seen in the mirror every time she closed her eyes. _This is too hard,_ she thought. _All I want is to kiss her._

But Kara waited to ask her next question until the sweater was off and handed to Lena. Before she could ask, Lena held the sweater up to cover her face and sobbed into it.

"Lena… Lena, what happened?" Kara pressed, putting her hand on her friend's quaking shoulder. "Lena. Lena, talk to me."

Finally, Lena looked back up, moving the sweater so that it was no longer covering her face, allowing Kara to get a closer look at her split lip.

"What happened?" she repeated.

Lena lied on instinct, saying, "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Kara said harshly. "He hit you, didn't he?"

Lena bit her lip reflexively and yelped when her teeth hit the break in the skin there.

"Oh, Lena…" the younger girl breathed, pulling Lena into her arms and holding her there as she shook from crying uncontrollably. When Lena finally started to calm, Kara sensed her eyes darkening and fists clenching as she told Lena, "I'm going to fucking kill him. I'm going to use the cruciatus curse on his scum ass and drag it out until he _wants_ to be dead."

With that, Kara started to pull away, reaching for her wand, but Lena stopped her hand and quickly blurted, "No! Kara, you can't!"

"Yes, I fucking can."

"No. _No._ You're not like that, Kara. That's not who you are. You'd go to Azkaban for the rest of your fucking life. You don't want that. _I_ don't want that. I need you safe… I… I need you _here._ "

Kara blushed at her words, wanting nothing more than to believe them, but knowing full well that Lena had to choose Jack.

"Just let me kill him," Kara pleaded. "Let me hurt him. Let me teach him a lesson, at least. He hurt my best friend. I can't let him get away with—"

"It's not your job to put anyone in their place, Kara," Lena scolded her. "You have to promise me you won't go near him."

"I can't promise you that," Kara said simply, gripping her wand tightly in her fist.

"Yes, you can," Lena challenged. "And you will."

"No!"

"Yes. Promise me _now._ "

Seeing the serious and pleading nature of Lena's eyes, Kara knew she had to do anything and everything she wanted, so she agreed, "Alright. Alright. I won't hurt him. But… your mother at least needs to know."

"My mother won't care, Kara," Lena countered. "I'll be fine. I'll be okay."

"Don't go back to him," Kara pleaded suddenly, pulling Lena back into her arms and holding her there. "Don't. Please."

"I have to, Kara. This is my life. My family and my name are all I have."

Kara wanted to scream. It wasn't true. She had _Kara._ But because that didn't seem to be Lena's priority, Kara resigned herself to respecting that and allowing her to make her own choices. Despite how much it ground up her insides.

Then, Kara confessed, "I'm scared for you to leave."

"I'll be okay. It'll be okay. I have to go, Kara. I have to."

"Promise me I'll see you in the morning," the blonde begged. "Please."

"Kara… I don't think… I don't think I _can._ "

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kara managed to croak out, "I understand. Just… Stay safe, Lena. Please, at least do that."

Hesitantly, Lena told her, "I'll… I'll be safe," and gripped the sweater tightly in her hands. "Thank you for this."

Kara nodded and whispered, "Anything for my best friend. Anything."

Lena gave her a sad, half-hearted smile and squeezed her hand, giving her one last hug before saying, "Goodnight, Kara. Be good."

Normally, the prefect would've said 'okay,' but given the circumstances, she didn't have the enthusiasm to agree, so she simply shrugged, making Lena bite her lip with concern.

"Goodnight, Kara," Lena whispered, wiping her eyes as she turned away, leaving Kara with a terrified, sinking feeling in her gut.

Back in her own dorm – luckily, she didn't run into her fiancé – Lena curled up in her bed, sobbing into Kara's sweater and holding it tightly until she finally fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Kara slept fitfully that night, waking every twenty minutes or so, until she finally gave up sleep and decided to get up and get ready to start the day. All she could think of was Lena's lip and the way her blood had crusted over, making the wound obvious.

But when she dragged her feet through the portrait and into the hallway, she was shocked to find a sleeping Lena hunched over, sitting against the wall, with her head buried in Kara's sweater, which was resting on her knees.

"Lena!" Kara cried, dropping to her knees beside her best friend.

This startled the girl awake, and when she lifted her head to see where the sound was coming from, Kara saw the other two bruises on her cheeks.

"Oh, God," Kara breathed. "Lena."

Instantly, Lena erupted into tears, sobbing, "I can't do it. I can't marry him, Kara."

"Oh, Lena. Honey," the Gryffindor cooed, pulling the girl to her chest and remaining on the floor with her. "You don't have to. You don't have to."

"B-But my—"

"You will always have a home with me, Lena," Kara promised, pressing an exceptionally gentle kiss to her friend's forehead. "You'll never be alone. You'll always have a place to go. You'll always have a family. You'll always have me. Always."

Lena couldn't stop sobbing. Everything she wanted – no, _needed_ – to hear was coming straight from Kara's lips. Everything she ever could have dreamed of but hadn't dared to was unfolding, encasing her in warmth and hope.

"Kara," Lena whimpered. "I…. I lo—I… I…"

"I love you, Lena," Kara blurted, the words finally tumbling out like a dam breaking.

All she could do was pray that that had been what Lena was about to say as well and hope that she could give Lena the strength to say it.

"I want you," Lena told her. "I want _you._ I l-love you…"

"You have me, Lena," the blonde told her. "You've had me since day one."

"What?"

"Day one, Lena. I've always loved you. But I always knew you'd choose your family over anything else, so I didn't want to make anything harder on either of us. Not to mention, for the longest time, I didn't think you liked me. Then, you told me about the mirror and I just… couldn't tell you. I knew you were suffering already, and I didn't want to add to it."

"I was so scared of this," Lena confessed, wiping her eyes. "So scared of being gay. Of being rejected. Of ruining our friendship. Of losing you."

"None of that is going to happen," Kara promised, stroking Lena's hair and holding her just a little closer. "None of it. I could never reject you, and you will always be my best friend."

"But what about—" Lena asked in confusion, not understanding exactly what Kara meant by this.

"You know…" the blonde mused, looking up thoughtfully. "They say you should marry your best friend, and that friends make the best lovers."

Mouth hanging just slightly agape, Lena stared at Kara in disbelief.

"Just saying," Kara said quickly, when she noticed the look of surprise on Lena's face.

Feeling a sudden burst of bravery, Lena leaned in again and nuzzled her forehead against Kara's chin, and in response, Kara placed a soft kiss to the top of Lena's head, making them both feel exceptionally warm, even in the cold corridor of the castle.

"Kara…" Lena whispered, lifting her head again to look lovingly into the prefect's eyes.

"Yes, dear," Kara answered with a soft smile.

The smile faded when Lena couldn't finish her thought and the bruises on Lena's face caught her attention. Thumbing the unbruised part of Lena's cheeks, Kara frowned.

"I hate seeing you hurt," Kara whispered, pressing their foreheads together. "Can I please use the—"

Sighing, Lena shook her head and firmly said, "No. You cannot use the torture curse on him."

"But _why?_ " the blonde moaned.

"Because that's not who you are. And if you meant what you said about me having a home with you, you have to keep your protective ass out of Azkaban. Understood?"

Reluctantly, Kara had to agree that she had a point and nodded her head.

"Now…" Lena said, voice suddenly low and slow. "Why don't we go somewhere and plan my escape from Luthor Manor?"

"Really?!" Kara gasped, bouncing with excitement.

"Only if you'll have me."

"I'll have you. I'll have you today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. I'll have you every day from here on out."

Kara blushed when she realized that these words sounded incredibly like wedding vows.

Lena smiled, leaning in bravely and pressing her lips to Kara's cheek for the first time, deepening their shade of red.

"Then yes. Let's do this, Kara. I'm tired of pretending and trying to be someone I'm not. I want _you_ to be my family."

"Then I am. That's all you ever need to say. I will always be here for you. I'll always be on your side."

Since Kara was sitting with her legs crossed on the floor beside her, Lena decided to crawl onto her lap and drape her arms around Kara's neck as she looked into Kara's electric blue eyes.

"You're beautiful," Lena said, without inhibitions. When Kara just looked at her with surprise, not used to hearing these kind of words from the young Luthor, Lena added, "I've been wanting to tell you that for a long time." Continuing to blush, Kara dropped her gaze, but Lena lifted her chin and said, "I've been waiting to do this for a while too," before leaning in and kissing her lips.

Kara froze at first, shocked by the sweet, soft sensation of Lena's lips against her own, then finally recovered enough to thread her fingers in the girl's hair, holding her still to deepen the kiss. When they finally broke apart, they were breathless.

"Good grief, Lee," Kara panted, wearing a large grin. "You're an incredible kisser."

"As are you, Miss Danvers."

It was so incredibly good to see Lena smiling that Kara almost – _almost_ – forgot her loathing of Jack. But this feeling of being on Cloud 9 only lasted a few moments as they looked longingly at each other before Kara's thoughts drifted back to causing the Slytherin boy pain.

"I'm telling the headmaster what he did to you, Lena," the prefect announced, voice returning to its previous seriousness.

"Kara—"

"No. I'm going to get him expelled, Lena. Please, come with me to his office so he can see the proof. Please, help me with this. Stand up to him."

With a sigh, Lena slowly rose to her feet, holding out her hand to help Kara up next. Once Kara was standing beside her, she told her, "Alright. I'll go with you. And… my mother's never gonna speak to me again."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Kara said, as gently as possible. "She hurts you more than she makes you feel good, Lena."

As if realizing this for the first time, Lena hesitated as she considered Kara's words. It was true. She couldn't remember the last time Lillian had actually made her feel good or proud of herself. The only person who had ever really made her feel _good_ about herself was Kara.

"Let's go," Lena said, nodding her understanding of Kara's previous comment.

"Then we're getting you to the hospital wing."

"We what?"

"Yeah. Your face is bruised really badly. It needs to be looked at."

"Kara, I don't want to!"

"Shh, or I'll take my sweater away," the Gryffindor teased, tugging gently on the sweater that Lena was clutching tightly.

Immediately, Lena jerked her arm away, holding the sweater behind her back as she countered, "Then I'll take my scarf back!"

"You'll pry it from my cold, dead hands, you mean," Kara laughed, shaking her head and making Lena scowl at her. "It's my prized possession. You're not getting it back, ever. Besides, I'm a Slytherdor, remember? I need it."

Lena had to laugh at this, momentarily forgetting the intense pain radiating from her face as she hugged her best friend and kissed her cheek.

"I love you," Lena whispered. "You'll always be my Slytherdor."

Blush returning, Kara smiled and told her, "I love you too. Now, let's go get this fucker expelled and get you feeling better, yeah?"

Lena, smiling, nodded her head and held Kara's hand the entire way to the headmaster's office, allowing Kara's touch to give her the bravery she needed to push forward.


	15. Chapter 15

After Jack's expulsion from Hogwarts, the Slytherins disowned and rejected Lena. Which was fine, because although she'd been drilled to have house pride, she'd never really been interested in making friends with any of them anyway. So, Lena took to sitting with the Gryffindors for meals, which was slightly more inviting, considering that they'd given her a pass for getting another Slytherin expelled.

"You're cool, kid. We'll keep you around," she was told, surprisingly by the boy who had tried to curse her the night Kara had found them in the corridor past curfew.

Kara and Lena both knew it had nothing to do with house loyalty, but neither of them minded having a less hostile environment. Finally, a little bit of support.

Then, rumors spread like wildfire, and soon, the girls found themselves at the Gryffindor breakfast table listening to everyone beside them chanting, "Kara's got a girlfriend" over and over, which made an incredible scene that caught the attention of the entire Great Hall. Everyone knew Kara. This was not going away any time soon.

"Stop, guys!" Kara whined, not willing to address the statement but making all reasonable efforts to make the chanting stop.

Lena had her head down. She knew this wasn't good for Kara, for her house to think she was dating a Slytherin. She was, but they hadn't exactly had any public displays of affection to signal this. How did they even know? It was probably in the way they looked at each other. At least, that's what Lena assumed, since she knew full damn well that every time she looked into Kara's eyes, everything inside her melted into a pile of I'd-do-anything-for-you.

But Lena tried to respect Kara's privacy. She was the Gryffindor team Seeker and was on pace to be the team captain the next year. If her popularity wavered, she might not get the spot, and Kara wanted to be scouted more than anything. She needed this. She needed people to like her, just like they always had. The last thing Lena wanted was to ruin that for her.

Mentally attempting to drown out the chanting was going absolutely nowhere for Lena, considering that her girlfriend was still standing, shouting at her classmates, and looking guiltier than ever. Kara wasn't really all that great at lying either. Not that she denied the rumors. Just that she was giving the very strong impression that she had something to hide.

Was it really that obvious? Kara wondered.

Then, she thought about it. She couldn't keep her hands off Lena. Not public displays of affection. Just… little touches here and there. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Resting her hand on Lena's thigh. Playfully nudging her shoulder. Anything, really, to have an excuse to touch her.

This realization only made Kara's blush redder, and that blush had spread far past her cheeks and was now simply making her face a deep shade of crimson.

"Sit," Lena begged her, seeing just how upset Kara was getting while trying to convince her classmates to knock off the teasing. "It's okay. Just ignore it. They're—"

But Lena had made the mistake of grabbing Kara's hand to try to pull her back down into a seated position, which only earned whistles and hoots from the Gryffindors.

Then, to both Kara and Lena's surprise, they started chanting something else: "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Kara thought she might faint. They were teasing her, but… it wasn't a bad thing? Relief washed over her, at first, before embarrassment returned. Kara had never kissed anyone in front of anyone else. In fact, the thought of doing so in front of the whole school was overwhelming. Still, she probably would have given just about anything to remove herself from the spotlight in that moment and to get her classmates to shut the hell up.

So she sat down slowly and turned her head to look at Lena, whose cheeks were also burning.

Biting her lip, Kara looked at Lena quizzically. She wasn't about to assume that PDA was okay with her, so she waited. Lena nodded almost immediately, and as soon as she did, Kara leaned in shyly and pecked her on the lips.

"Aww, c'mon, Kara!" a voice called out. "Kiss her like you mean it!"

Kara's head whipped around to see her sister, Alex, standing behind her near the table, wearing a shit-eating grin.

"It's the least you can do when you literally _never shut the fuck up_ about her!" Alex added, pushing on Kara's back to scoot her closer to Lena.

By whatever strange happenstance – probably because Alex was always so busy – Lena had never officially met Kara's sister, so to have her first experience with her be Alex ratting her sister out for 'never shutting the fuck up' about her… it was intense. Was that true? Did Kara really talk about her with her sister?

Judging by the horrified look on Kara's face, it was 110% accurate.

So Lena's smile returned, having caught Kara in an adorably embarrassing act of love. Without hesitating, Lena felt a burst of confidence tear through her as she grabbed Kara's tie and jerked her forward, crashing their lips together hard.

" _Yeah!_ " the Gryffindors roared. "Show that chicken who's boss, Lena!"

It had been Lena's move to go back for a deeper kiss, but she was still surprised to be getting encouragement from Kara's housemates. Kara, on the other hand, wasn't thinking about this at all. She was busy getting lost in the kiss, savoring the taste of pumpkin juice on Lena's lips. When she realized she was holding her breath, she finally gasped and broke the kiss, left completely breathless by the passion with which her partner had just kissed her.

"Pathetic, Kara. Really," Alex teased. "You go in for a peck when the whole house is cheering for you? What a pansy." Then, turning to Lena and continuing to wear her confident grin, Alex said, "Good job, Lena. Make sure you remind her where her balls are on a regular basis, because she seems to forget they're there around you."

With a wink, Alex gave the fifth year sitting beside her sister a gentle shove and sat down in his place, wrapping an arm around Kara as the table finally settled down.

"I'm happy for you, sis," Alex whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You should've let me meet her sooner."

Unable to blush more than she already was, Kara felt herself becoming lightheaded. Everything was spinning, and the surprise with which she greeted the moment was incredibly overwhelming. It helped when Lena squeezed her hand to ground her, though, and her smile finally returned.

"I love you," Lena whispered, so only Kara could hear her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Kara asked, looking confused.

"For kissing me in front of everyone. For not being ashamed of me. And for defending me even when I was on their shit lists for being a Slytherin."

"Well," Kara said cheerfully. "You're a Slytherdor now, so…"

Lena grinned, wrapping her arms around Kara and repeating her thanks.

"Stop," Kara laughed. "Quit thanking me."

"Thank you," the brunette pressed on. "Thank you for being with me. Thank you for being so beautiful. Thank you for always standing up for me. Thank you for always protecting me. Thank you for—"

"Shut up, would you?" the Gryffindor laughed, leaning in to silence her with a kiss.

Lena smiled against her lips, making Kara shiver.

When Kara finally pulled away, she commented, "So… The final Quidditch match of the year is tomorrow…"

"I know," the Slytherin told her with a smile. "You're not nervous, are you? You're going to do great."

"Look… Lena…." Kara began, seriousness returning. "I know you don't like Quidditch, but… There will be scouts there, and I'm… I'm honestly nervous. I could really use your—"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Lena interrupted her, kissing her firmly on the lips. "Not for anything."

Feeling herself tear up from the relief of having such an overwhelming outpouring of support from her partner – she'd honestly been nervous that Lena wouldn't want to go – Kara hugged the girl tightly and nuzzled her neck with her forehead as she clung to her.

As soon as Lena was comfortable – probably too comfortable – in her arms as they sat at the table, Kara felt the sudden urge to tickle her, and did so without inhibitions. Lena _hated_ that. Hated being tickled. But good Lord was it funny!

So Kara reached under her arms and pressed just the right places to make Lena laugh, causing her to squirm in her seat at the table.

"Kara!" Lena shouted. "Stoppp!"

But Kara simply shook her head and leaned in, kissing Lena repeatedly, all over her face.

"Kara," the older girl laughed. "That's enough, you goober! We gotta get to class!"

Kara shrugged, grinning as she pulled away, pressed a kiss to Lena's lips, and said, "Best part of my day."

Lena just rolled her eyes, telling her, "You're a brat."

Of course, Kara walked Lena to class, insisting on carrying her books.

"I'm not breakable, you know," Lena had told her, protesting the gesture.

"No," Kara agreed. "But you're my princess, so I'm going to treat you like one." Once they reached Lena's classroom, Kara pecked her on the lips and said, "So, I'll see you later?"

Lena smiled and nodded her head in confirmation.

"And you'll be at the match tomorrow?" the blonde asked.

"Of course."

"And I'm not gonna die this time, right?"

"Nope. I'd never let that happen," Lena promised.

Kara kissed her one last time before they parted ways.


	16. Chapter 16

During the Quidditch match – likely the most important of Kara's athletic career – Kara was exceptionally focused. Knowing Lena was there watching eased her worries and helped her to remain calm, despite her nerves being electrified by the fear of missing out on a scouting opportunity. She had to win this match. She had to help Gryffindor win the house cup. She had to make Lena proud. And she had to – _had_ to – ensure her future as a professional Seeker.

With her focus being so intense and on point, it was actually far easier to accomplish her task. In fact, Kara's eyes were so sharp and attentive to her mission that she saw the Snitch almost immediately, whizzing by her at full speed and circling far above her teammates. Before she could catch it, though, it dove down below them, so Kara wasted no time in following, doing a near-nosedive for the tiny flying object. It was in her hand in an instant, and as soon as her nimble fingers wrapped around it and held it steady, she felt an incredible wave of relief wash over her. This was it. She'd been in the air only about nine or ten minutes, which was an incredible record, and she'd single-handedly won the game before anyone had even scored.

The crowd – once again, everyone but the those in Slytherin house – erupted into cheers, astounded by Kara's speed. The Seeker was incredibly relieved to have broken the Hogwarts Quidditch record for time catching the Snitch, and it showed with a big grin as she raised her hand up in the air, floating just above the ground on her broom as she basked in her incredible victory. She was back on her game, literally. The last match, where she'd fallen off her broom and been saved by her Slytherin best friend, had shaken her deeply, making her worry about her own abilities. Now, she knew they weren't gone. She still had it. Of course, this was made easier by knowing that Lena was there cheering her on.

She could even hear her screaming, "Yeah, Kara!" And then, "You go, babygirl!"

Hearing that, Kara felt she might fall off her broom again and found herself grateful to having been so close to the ground. Unfortunately for her, this very nearly happened when the Slytherin team's Seeker crashed into her from the side at full force. But Kara managed to stay steady on the broom, despite the abrupt turbulence, and Madam Hooch blew the whistle immediately.

"Twenty-five points from Slytherin for incredibly poor sportsmanship!" she shouted.

The Slytherins all booed, but Kara couldn't stop smiling, completely ignoring the assault as she slowly lowered her broom to the ground and dismounted, turning her head to see Lena waving at her. She almost blushed when Lena blew her a kiss, feeling light headed and dizzy from the heavy wave of affection she was feeling.

For a moment, Kara got lost in Lena's wide, proud smile, until a man approached Kara from the side and said, "Miss Danvers?"

Kara turned around instantly, blushing, to find a man she didn't know standing beside her.

"Yes, sir," she answered, swallowing hard when she noticed his badge, indicating that he was from the British and Irish Quidditch League.

"The way you played that game… You can have your pick of any professional team in the League," he informed her, making her feel she might just fall to the ground in shock.

This was it. This was everything she'd ever wanted, all wrapped up in a bow. Lena by her side, an offer to join a professional Quidditch team. Everything

"You keep that up next year, and you're a shoo-in, Miss Danvers. I hope that you continue to play like you just did and that you accept an offer to join the League upon graduation."

"I… I…. Thank you, sir. Thank you!" Kara exclaimed, her shock fading and spreading her lips into a wide grin.

As soon as he turned away, Lena came rushing towards her, having jumped the fence and run onto the Quidditch pitch to meet her.

"That's my girl!" Lena cried, wrapping her arms around Kara as tightly as she could, having seen the interaction with the Quidditch scout. "I'm so proud of you!"

Kara lifted her up with ease and spun her around a few times before setting her back down on the ground and kissing her hard, making their worlds slow to a stop, leaving the rowdy students around them to faded into the distance.

"Guess you were the one destined for greatness," Lena chuckled, ruffling Kara's already tousled hair.

"Well, we'll see. I have to make sure I keep it up next year."

"That's a given," the brunette laughed, pecking Kara on the cheek. "You're gonna dominate out there next year, just like you always have."

Smiling brightly, Kara took Lena's hand and said, "Let's go have dinner. I'm _starving._ "

~!~!~

Later that night, the two decided to wind down in the library, mostly because Lena was panicked about her N.E.W.T.s. Kara did her best to support her, bringing pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs to the rescue, which Lena accepted gratefully. The sweets helped distract her from the fact that these exams were literally going to define her career, while at the same time giving her enough energy to focus and study.

This routine continued each evening after dinner for the next several weeks, until finally, it was the night before the exams.

"I can't do it," Lena blurted, dropping her History of Magic book down on the table. "I'm gonna fail."

"Lena," Kara chuckled, reaching across the table to touch her hand. "You've never failed anything in your life."

Lena thought about this. Kara was pretty much correct in this statement. She couldn't remember ever doing poorly on an exam. Still, her nerves got the better of her, so absently, she reached up and began to play with her hair, not knowing what to say.

Noticing this anxious gesture, Kara whispered, "You're gonna do great, babe," and pressed a kiss to Lena's forehead.

"Well… at least I don't have to get shit from my mother anymore. She hasn't spoken to me in months, and neither has Lex. Pretty sure that bridge is burned and crumpled to ashes."

Kara nodded sympathetically and told her, "I'm here, okay? I'm not going anywhere. You don't need them."

Lena nodded, then, after a pause, looked up into Kara's eyes and said, "Kara… I think I know what I want to do with my life."

"Like… a career? Or like… have pets and a farm with me?"

"A career, you goober," Lena laughed, playfully shoving her partner's shoulder until she leaned back in the chair.

"Aww. Well, that's too bad," Kara teased. "I was thinking about giving up Quidditch and staying home with you every day for the rest of my life."

"You're ridiculous," the brunette told her, shaking her head. "You're not giving up Quidditch."

"Nah, you're right. Probably not. But anyway! Tell me! What caught your fancy?"

"Well… I can tell you it's definitely not being a professor or headmistress of this school." When Kara raised an eyebrow, Lena continued, "And I'm going to need at least 5 exceeds expectations on my N.E.W.T.s."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last, and the epilogue! I hope you've all enjoyed reading thus far! Leave a comment and let me know what you think Lena wants to do with her life. ;)
> 
> Or hit me up in Tumblr to chat anytime. My handle is echelonwarfare.


	17. Chapter 17

**EPILOGUE:**

**FIVE YEARS LATER**

The Ministry of Magic was bustling with excitement from the recent election. The new Minister for Magic was about to be announced, and just about every witch and wizard employed by the Ministry was gathered around for the declaration of the results in a public press conference. Near the podium at the front of the large hall, there stood a man with white hair, looking worn and tired as he tried to quiet the rowdy crowd.

When at last the crowd settled, in favor of hearing the results of the election, rather than speculating about them, the man cleared his throat into the microphone, the sound echoing throughout the room.

"Today," he began, voice projecting adequately enough for all to hear him, "I am sad to think of the loss of our most recent Minister for Magic to retirement, though it is well deserved. However, I am also incredibly excited to announce our _next_ Minister for Magic, whom the people have elected with overwhelming support. This is a woman whose accomplishments overshadow those of most witches and wizards, particularly those of her age. I am pleased to say that today, we will be swearing in our youngest Minister for Magic in all of witch and wizard history. This incredibly qualified candidate graduated at the top of her class from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and has been a Hit Witch for the Ministry of Magic for the past four years, trained to deal with highly dangerous combat situations, such as recent high-risk arrests, riot controls, and hostage situations. She has served the Ministry and the wizarding community as a whole with great valor and determination, frequently putting her own life at risk to do so. Not forgetting, this woman is also the one who – with the help of our team of aurors – uncovered the scandal of Mr. Lex Luthor's involvement in the Dark Arts and arrested him through an astounding display of expertise." The crowd cheered, knowing exactly who he was referring to, so he raised his hand to silence them, finally smiling, and announced, "So, without further ado, I will let this incredible woman offer her acceptance speech."

The woman he was referring to rose from her chair on shaky legs, slowly making her way up to the podium as she waved at the crowd of overly excited, rowdy witches and wizards.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, the woman began her speech, saying, "I can, in no way, say thank you enough to all of you who have supported me through this election. I can only say that I am incredibly proud to be able to serve as your Minister for Magic, and that I will do my best to serve the Ministry, and our people, as honorably as I have for the past four years. However…" The woman paused, looking out towards the front of the crowd, before finishing, "There is absolutely no way I could be where I am today without Mrs. Lena Danvers, my incredible wife, who supported me through an improbable career change from a potential professional Quidditch Seeker to a Hit Witch for the Ministry, a job that involved terrible risk of injury and even death. She has stood by me through all of the risk, all of the commitment, and all of the struggle, as both an auror and employee of the ministry and as my wife. Thank you, Lena. And thank everyone who took the time to elect me as your Minister for Magic. I vow to do my best in this role and to do right by our community, and to protect the values of witches and wizards everywhere."

The crowd erupted into a roar of applause, but the woman's eyes were locked on her partner's as she stepped down from the podium and returned to her seat beside the dark-haired woman.

"I told you that you were destined for greatness, Kara," Lena teased, beaming at her wife.

"You paved the path for me by becoming an auror – your own act of incredible greatness – and supporting me through my career here. I never could have imagined ousting your brother for Minister five years ago when I got scouted for the League."

Lena nodded her agreement, still beaming, and replied, "I suppose you're right. We were both destined for greatness, in our own way. But all that matters to me is that I'm destined to be by your side through all of it. Congratulations, Mrs. Danvers. You made it all the way to the top. Now, you just have to make sure you don't get too busy with all your Ministry duties to come home to your wife."

"I didn't before, and neither did you. We've both given so much to our jobs, Lee, but we've never forgotten each other. I really couldn't have done this without you."

"And I couldn't have become an auror without your support. Thank you, Kara."

Kara leaned in for a kiss, and Lena obliged, deepening it when she felt the new Minister for Magic smile against her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO much for reading and all the lovely, engaging comments! I hope the end surprised you a little bit made sense nonetheless, and I hope you enjoyed the ride!
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr if you wanna chat about Supercorp (or anything else)! Handle: echelonwarfare


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